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Golfers with the most PGA Tour wins of all-time

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The all-time PGA Tour wins list is full of golf legends from multiple generations of the game from Tiger Woods at the turn of the century to Walter Hagen in the early 1900s.

The 2021 PGA Championship winner Phil Mickelson , who left the PGA Tour, also ranks among the winningest golfers ever, but do continue reading to learn more about several other giants of the game who deserve their due recognition and rank in the top 10 for the most PGA Tour wins.

Here is the list of golfers with the most PGA Tour wins.

T10. Tom Watson & Cary Middlecoff, 39 PGA Tour wins

When Tom Watson was at his best, so was Jack Nicklaus, making it that much more tougher for Watson during his prime in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. He was a pure ball-striker and phenomenal putter in his heyday, and had the game to travel anywhere and thrive under any conditions, good or bad.

Of his 39 PGA Tour victories, Watson won The Open Championship five times and was a steady winner during his PGA Tour career. One of those Open Championships that is forever remember is Watson’s victory in 1977 between him and Nicklaus in the ‘Duel in the Sun.’ Both were 10 shots ahead of the field at one point and Watson birdied four of his final six holes to capture the Claret Jug.

Even after his supposed prime was over, Watson won the Nicklaus-hosted Memorial Tournament in 1996 — nearly nine years removed from his last PGA Tour win — and got one more “W” at Colonial in May 1998.

Cary Middlecoff, who chose golf after a career as a dentist, won three majors and actually got his first win as an amateur at the 1945 North and South Open, which was a big tournament at the time. In the 1950s, Middlecoff racked up 28 victories, and only played 15 seasons on tour. That’s a much shorter tenure than most players on this list.

Despite playing a decade and a half on the PGA Tour, he accumulated more money during his PGA Tour career than Ben Hogan, Sam Snead and anyone during the 50s. He was one of the best in his generation in driving, with his long irons and his putting.

Related: Highest paid golfers of 2023

T8. Phil Mickelson & Walter Hagen, 45 PGA Tour wins

Phil Mickelson’s 2021 PGA Championship triumph made him the oldest major champion at 50 years old and it tied Walter Hagen for eighth on the all-time PGA Tour wins list.

Mickelson, who was was already a Hall of Famer, had little left to prove at this stage of his career. Nevertheless, he’s continued to grind and has proven he can still compete with the world’s best by winning a major.

All that’s really missing from his resume is a U.S. Open victory, and he should still have at least a few years left to take a crack at that. However, with his move to LIV Golf , it makes his chances to complete the career Grand Slam that much more difficult because of the less amount of tournaments to play in before America’s National Tournament.

As for Hagen, well, he burst onto the scene at the 1914 U.S. Open for his first PGA Tour victory in his early 20s and never looked back as he was one of the best players in the early 20th century. He won at a prolific rate, and became a pioneer for endorsements and higher prize money. Hagen was also golf’s first-ever millionaire.

Hagen’s best years came during the 1923 and 1924 seasons when he won five events each. Furthermore, Hagen won the Western Open five times, which at the time was the third biggest event behind the British Open and the U.S. Open. Speaking of the big tournaments, Hagen won 11 majors, which ranks third best, only trialing Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus.

7. Billy Casper, 51 PGA Tour wins

To get a sense of how good Billy Casper was, consider that he won the PGA Tour’s Vardon Trophy five times — which is awarded each season for the lowest scoring average — and also also won at a clip of 9.2%. In golf, that’s quite an excellent percentage.

Casper was a strong chipper and putter who competed with many of the other stars on this list in their primes in the 1960s and early 70s. Because his game wasn’t as much of a superstar as, say, Nicklaus or Palmer, he often gets a little overlooked.

In fact, Casper went head-to-head with Palmer and came out on top in one of the most thrilling finishes ever.

At the 1966 U.S. Open, he was paired with Palmer for the final round. When they made the turn to the back nine, Palmer was seven strokes ahead. Amazingly, Casper rallied to tie in regulation, and then topped Palmer in an 18-hole playoff for one of his three major championships.

6. Byron Nelson, 52 PGA Tour wins

The achievement Byron Nelson will always be best known for is his streak of 11 straight victories in 1945, en route to an 18-win season. Just to put into perspective how dominant Nelson was in 1945, only three players have five PGA Tour wins in a single season since 2010.

Nelson’s 1945 season is one of those records that might never be achieved again. What’s crazy is, Nelson ranks this high on the all-time PGA Tour wins list despite retiring at age 34.

At the time, no one had ever even reached 50 wins on tour, so when Nelson started piling up trophies at such a crazy clip, it was truly mind-blowing at the time. Like Arnold Palmer, too, Nelson has a tournament named after him that still runs on the PGA Tour to this day.

In addition, World War II hurt Nelson’s chances to climb this leaderboard even more as majors and regular season tournaments were canceled, including the 1943-45 Masters Tournaments and the 1942-45 U.S. Opens.

5. Arnold Palmer, 62 PGA Tour wins

While Tiger Woods lifted golf into another stratosphere in terms of coolness and accessibility, in the earlier days of television when golf was still searching for a solid audience, Arnold Palmer was the catalyst who helped the sport explode with popularity.

Beyond his undeniable star power, though, Palmer is one of golf’s greatest champions. Palmer, who was known as “The King,” had one of the most dominant stretches of all-time from 1960 through 1963, in which he won a whopping 32 times, including five majors. That is nearly half of his wins coming in a three-year span.

During the 1962 season, he won eight tournaments for the second time in three seasons. Since then, only three golfers have won eight or more times in a single PGA Tour season.

4. Ben Hogan, 64 PGA Tour wins

There may never have been a better ball-striker in the history of golf than Ben Hogan. His steely determination, tireless work ethic on the driving range and perfection of his swing mechanics forged The Hawk into a nine-time major champion and prolific PGA Tour winner.

In his home state of Texas, Hogan won the Colonial National Invitation — now known as the Charles Schwab Challenge — five times. He is tied with Nicklaus, Bobby Jones and Willie Anderson with the record of four U.S. Open titles.

Hogan had his career impeded by serving in the Army during World War II and a near-fatal car accident in 1949 that caused severe injuries. As a result, his 1950 U.S. Open victory is considered one of the crowning achievements in golf and all of sports, signifying resilience and courage.

There is an award in his honor, the Ben Hogan Award, which is given to the top amateur and professional tournament results over the previous 12 months.

3. Jack Nicklaus, 73 PGA Tour wins

What’s perhaps most incredible about Jack Nicklaus’ career beyond his unmatched major total is how many close calls he actually had at the four Grand Slam events. In addition to his 18 major titles wins, the Golden Bear logged 19 runner-up finishes.

Considering how relatively close behind the all-time PGA Tour wins mark Nicklaus sits in proximity to Snead and Woods, those near-misses at majors have to sting a little more.

However, Nicklaus was one of the most mentally tough players the game has ever seen, and claims to have selective memory loss about the marquee events he lost. That’s part of what made him so great.

In total, Nicklaus won six Masters, four U.S. Opens, three Open Championships and five PGA Championships, completing the career Grand Slam several times. He and Harry Vardon are the only six-time champions at a single major.

The last time Nicklaus claimed glory at Augusta National Golf Club on a Masters Sunday, he was 46, which turned out to be his final PGA Tour victory.

Nicklaus’ best years came during the 1972 and 1973 seasons when he won seven events each. In addition to his two major wins in 1972, he started and ended his season with victories, beginning with the Bing Crosby National Pro-Am and concluding the year with a trophy at the Walt Disney World Open Invitational to encapsulate an all-around great season.

T1. Tiger Woods & Sam Snead, 82 PGA Tour wins

At the top of the PGA Tour wins list, there is a tie between Tiger Woods and Sam Snead, who combine for 22 major championship trophies.

Any casual sports fan knows about Woods’ dominance, which has fundamentally changed golf over the past three decades or so. Before going deep on his epic PGA Tour tenure, let’s first take a closer look at Snead.

Snead’s wins spanned from 1936 through 1965. His final victory came at the Greater Greensboro Open — now called the Wyndham Championship — for the eighth time. No one has won a single PGA Tour event as many times as Snead won that tournament, until Woods came along.

In addition to his prowess on the PGA Tour, Snead collected seven major titles to his overall win total. Snead won the Masters and PGA Championship three times apiece, as well as the Open Championship in 1946. The only leg of the career Grand Slam he missed was the U.S. Open, where he was a four-time runner-up.

OK, now let’s get into Woods. Here are the highlights from his record-tying 82nd victory at the 2019 ZOZO Championship in Japan:

Tiger has defied the odds time and time again, whether it’s recovering from major injuries, rebuilding his swing or rebounding from personal life challenges off the course. He went more than five years between victories from the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in 2013 to his 2018 Tour Championship triumph.

That breakthrough in the FedEx Cup finale foreshadowed Woods’ return to major glory at the 2019 Masters , which is among the most incredible wins and comeback stories in sports history similar to Hogan nearly seven decades later. It marked Woods’ fifth green jacket and 15th major, putting him only three behind Nicklaus for the all-time mark.

On the PGA Tour, Woods has matched Snead’s achievement twice of winning a single event eight times at the aforementioned Bridgestone Invitational and the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

With the news of Woods’ car accident in February 2021, making a comeback has been a goal of the Cypress, Calif. native to try and surpass Snead to get that elusive 83rd victory. We have seen him compete since the accident, most notably at the major tournaments as a result of on-going health issues.

Woods still wants that elusive 83rd victory as he looks to get try and get back on top at least one more time.

It is yet to be seen for Woods to get in 72 holes in four days to win in a fashion, comparable to Hogan, in order to become golf’s all-time PGA Tour wins leader. He has played four rounds in a tournament but not to a level of being in contention on Sunday.

Matt Fitzgerald originally wrote this article. Subsequent updates have been done by Breven Honda and Sportsnaut editors.

More About: Golf

Inside look at every one of Tiger Woods' 82 PGA Tour victories

• Earned Evans Scholarship to attend Indiana University

What a journey. From a 20-year-old, newly established professional to a worldwide sports icon, Tiger Woods has mesmerized the golf world on his way to tying the PGA Tour record of 82 career victories, set by the legendary Sam Snead .

Snead, the Hall of Famer who was born in the same year as golf legends Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson , was 52 years old in 1965 when he became the oldest player to win on the PGA Tour. Eventually, that victory was determined to be his 82nd and last, setting a standard that decades of players could not match.

Jack Nicklaus topped out at 73 wins, while Hogan had 64 and Arnold Palmer 62.

Woods passed them years ago, before injuries seemingly sidelined his career, stalling at 79 victories after he captured the Bridgestone Invitational in 2013.

But the past 13 months have produced some amazing moments for Woods, now 43, as he won the Tour Championship last year for his first victory in five years, captured the Masters in April for his 15th major title and now has matched Snead in, of all places, Japan.

Here is a rundown of each and every one of those 82 titles.

1999 - Tiger Woods won his first PGA Championship, breaking out of a tie with Mike Weir at the top, before dueling with Spain's 19-year-old Sergio Garcia through the back nine. #PGA100 pic.twitter.com/y4Iq4GzEjP — PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) July 20, 2018

1. Las Vegas Invitational Oct. 6, 1996 Runner-up: Davis Love III A final-round 64 in what was then a five-round tournament led to Woods' first victory in just his fifth start as a pro. He beat Love in a sudden-death playoff.

2. Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic Oct. 20, 1996 Runner-up: Payne Stewart Woods shot a final-round 66 to edge the then two-time major winner by a stroke. The victory propelled Woods to the Tour Championship in just seven starts.

3. Mercedes Championship Oct. 12, 1997 Runner-up: Tom Lehman Then the season-opening tournament on the PGA Tour, the Tournament of Champions as it has been known, was played near San Diego. Weather shortened the event to 54 holes and Woods was tied with Lehman, whom he defeated in a sudden-death playoff.

4. The Masters April 13, 1997 Runner-up: Tom Kite Woods' first major championship was historic in many ways, and the way he crushed the field was impressive. After shooting 40 for his first 9 holes, Woods rallied with 30 strokes on the back nine and eventually won by 12 over Kite.

5. GTE Byron Nelson Golf Classic May 18, 1997 Runner-up: Lee Rinker In his first start after his Masters victory, Woods did not let up, opening the tournament with a pair of 64s on his way to a 2-shot victory.

6. Motorola Western Open July 6, 1997 Runner-up: Frank Nobilo Woods had a swarm of spectators following toward the green while playing the 18th hole at Cog Hill Country Club, where he beat Nobilo by 3 strokes. For the first time in his career, Woods went to No. 1 in the world, surpassing Greg Norman.

7. BellSouth Classic May 10, 1998 Runner-up: Jay Don Blake This was Woods' only victory of 1998, and a final-round 72 was good for a 1-shot win. It was also a tournament he never returned to, as the following year it was played the week prior to the Masters, and Woods did not defend his title.

8. Buick Invitational Feb. 14,1999 Runner-up: Billy Ray Brown A 62-65 weekend at Torrey Pines was the start of considerable success at one of Woods' favorite tour venues. He beat Brown by 2 strokes.

9. Memorial Tournament June 6, 1999 Runner-up: Vijay Singh His first victory at Jack Nicklaus' tournament came after a hot first two rounds and a 69 in the final round to defeat Singh by 2 strokes.

10. Motorola Western Open July 4, 1999 Runner-up: Mike Weir This became the first tournament that Woods won more than once as a final-round 71 was good for a 3-stroke victory.

11. PGA Championship Aug. 15, 1999 Runner-up: Sergio Garcia It might be hard to believe now, but many were questioning Woods' ability to win numerous majors before this win as 10 majors had passed since his Masters triumph. He got a big scare from 19-year-old Garcia down the stretch before prevailing by a shot with a final-round 72 at Medinah.

✅ @TigerWoods ✅ Sunday red ✅ Pebble Beach This eagle led to a classic Tiger fist pump in 2000. 🦅🏆 #TOURVault pic.twitter.com/5OFJXG2ChR — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 6, 2019

12. NEC Invitational Aug. 29, 1999 Runner-up: Phil Mickelson The first of three straight victories at Firestone in Akron, Ohio, in what was the first year of the World Golf Championship events. Woods led by 5 strokes after a third-round 62, and Mickelson, who was 7 back and tied for fourth, made it interesting with a closing 65 to pull within 1 shot.

13. National Car Rental Golf Classic at Disney Oct. 24, 1999 Runner-up: Ernie Els A somewhat frequent occurrence, Woods built a lead, then did what he had to do to win. After three straight rounds of 66, he shot 73 to beat Els by a shot.

14. Tour Championship Oct. 31, 1999 Runner-up: Davis Love III Woods cruised to a 4-shot victory over Love during a week that was marred by the death of Payne Stewart. The tournament was postponed for a day during the event so players could attend Stewart's funeral.

15. American Express Championship Nov. 7, 1999 Runner-up: Miguel-Angel Jimenez The forerunner to what is now the Mexico Championship, the WGC event moved around in its early years and was played in Spain at Valderrama -- site of the 1997 Ryder Cup. Woods was a shot back to begin the final round and shot 68 to tie Jimenez and won on the first extra hole of sudden death. It was the third victory in three weeks and eighth of the year for Woods.

16. Mercedes Championship Jan. 9, 2000 Runner-up: Ernie Els The start of a glorious year for Woods saw him beat Els in an epic duel that ended in a two-hole playoff. Both eagled the 18th hole in regulation, then both birdied it on the first extra hole. Woods then won with a 40-foot birdie putt on the next extra hole, his fifth straight victory dating to 2009.

17. AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am Feb. 7, 2000 Runners-up: Matt Gogel, Vijay Singh In one of Woods' more epic victories, Gogel led him by 7 strokes with just nine holes to go. Woods holed a shot for eagle at the 15th, birdied the 16th and birdied the 18th for a final-round 64 during a Monday finish to win by 2 strokes.

In 2001 at #themasters , @TigerWoods became the only player to hold all four professional majors at one time. https://t.co/nhI8e3950b — Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 6, 2016

18. Bay Hill Invitational March 19, 2000 Runner-up: Davis Love III The first of eight victories at Arnold Palmer's tournament, Woods shot a final-round 70 and cruised to a 4-shot win.

19. Memorial Tournament May 29, 2000 Runners-up: Ernie Els, Justin Leonard The weather-marred tournament finished on a Monday, and Woods had built a 6-shot advantage through 54 holes, cruising with a final-round 70 that assured a 2-stroke win, his fourth of the year and a defense of his Memorial title.

20. U.S. Open June 18, 2000 Runners-up: Ernie Els, Miguel Angel Jimenez A record-setting performance at Pebble Beach saw Woods open with a 65 and never look back. Even a triple-bogey during the third round could not derail him. He was the only player to break par for 72 holes and won by 15 shots.

21. The Open July 21, 2000 Runners-up: Thomas Bjorn, Ernie Els Woods made history by completing the career Grand Slam at the Home of Golf -- St. Andrews -- where he led by 3 shots after 36 holes and was 6 ahead of Bjorn and David Duval through 54 holes. Woods cruised to an 8-shot victory, never finding any of the Old Course bunkers during the tournament.

22. PGA Championship Aug. 20, 2000 Runner-up: Bob May With a 1-shot advantage through 54 holes, Woods could not shake May, who shot a final-round 66 at Valhalla to force a three-hole aggregate playoff that Woods won. Woods became the first player since Ben Hogan to win three major championships in the same year.

23. NEC Invitational Aug. 27, 2000 Runners-up: Justin Leonard, Phillip Price Winning three straight majors wasn't enough for Woods. He went to the WGC event at Firestone that followed the PGA and cruised to another victory, opening with a 64 and winning by 11 strokes.

24. Bell Canadian Open Sept. 10, 2000 Runner-up: Grant Waite Long remembered for the 6-iron shot Woods hit out of a fairway bunker from 218 yards on the final hole at Glen Abbey that set up a two-putt birdie and a 1-stroke victory. It also capped a remarkable nine-victory season.

25. Bay Hill Invitational March 18, 2001 Runner-up: Phil Mickelson Amazingly, Woods was deemed to be in a "slump'' before this win, having played six worldwide events without a victory (but with four top-10s). A final-round 69 was punctuated by an 18th-hole birdie that relegated Mickelson to his second runner-up finish to Woods.

26. Players Championship March 25, 2001 Runner-up: Vijay Singh The tournament where Woods made the "better-than-most'' putt on the 17th green during the third round. Often forgotten is that this victory came amidst the "Tiger Slam'' of majors. A final-round 67 meant a 1-stroke victory.

27. Masters April 8, 2001 Runner-up: David Duval A first-round 70 left Woods 7 strokes behind leader Chris DiMarco, but a second-round 66 pulled him into a tie with Phil Mickelson, just 2 strokes back. A third-round 68 gave him a 1-shot lead over Mickelson in his bid to become the first player to win four consecutive professional majors. Duval briefly tied for the lead with a birdie at the 15th hole before a bogey at the 16th. Woods birdied the 18th for his 2-shot margin of victory.

10 years ago, Tiger Woods holed out on No. 16 in dramatic fashion. Watch this historic shot from a different angle. https://t.co/5bnny62LBO — Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 5, 2015

28. Memorial Tournament June 3, 2001 Runners-up: Paul Azinger, Sergio Garcia Woods made it three in a row at Muirfield Village, shooting all four rounds in the 60s and cruising to a 7-shot victory.

29. NEC Invitational Aug. 26, 2001 Runner-up: Jim Furyk Unable to add a major victory after his Masters win earlier in the year, Woods settled for his fourth WGC title and third in a row at Firestone. But he needed overtime to do it. After shooting a final-round 69 to tie Jim Furyk, Woods needed seven extra holes before defeating him in a sudden-death playoff.

30. Bay Hill Invitational March 17, 2002 Runner-up: Michael Campbell Like Firestone and Muirfield Village, Woods was finding Bay Hill very much to his liking. Despite a third-round 74, he went on to win by 4 strokes.

31. Masters April 14, 2002 Runner-up: Retief Goosen Woods became just the third player to defend his Masters victory, shooting a final-round 71 to break a 54-hole tie and win by 3 strokes. It was Woods' third Masters win.

32. U.S. Open June 16, 2002 Runner-up: Phil Mickelson Woods grabbed the first-round lead, and despite shooting higher scores each day, won by 3 strokes over Mickelson. He became the first player since Jack Nicklaus in 1972 to win the Masters and U.S. Open in the same year.

33. Buick Open Aug. 11, 2002 Runners-up: Fred Funk, Brian Gay, Mark O'Meara, Estaban Toledo Woods cruised to a 4-stroke victory after opening the tournament 67-63.

34. American Express Championship Sept. 22, 2002 Runner-up: Retief Goosen Woods famously quipped that he could think of a million reasons (first place: $1 million) why he'd rather win this World Golf event than the following week's Ryder Cup (which the U.S. lost in England) before winning by a stroke over Goosen. It was his second victory in the event, played in Ireland that year.

35. Buick Invitational Feb. 16, 2003 Runner-up: Carl Pettersson Woods' second professional win at Torrey Pines was aided by a 68-68 weekend. He won by 4 strokes.

36. Accenture Match Play March 2, 2003 Runner-up: David Toms One of the best-ever as an amateur in the match play format, Woods got his first professional victory at match play in the WGC final -- 2 and 1 over Toms.

37. Bay Hill Invitational March 23, 2003 Runners-up: Stewart Cink, Brad Faxon, Kenny Perry, Kirk Triplett Not even a bout of food poisoning could keep Woods down during a rainy final round that saw him visibly ill on the course but still able to shoot 68 and win by 11 strokes. It was his fourth straight victory in the event.

38. 100th Western Open July 6, 2003 Runner-up: Rich Beem Woods cruised to a 5-shot victory, leading wire-to-wire and shooting a final-round 69 at Cog Hill to win the Western for the third time.

39. American Express Championship Oct. 5, 2003 Runners-up: Stewart Appleby, Tim Herron, Vijay Singh Woods' third victory in the event came at a third different venue -- this time the Capital City Club in Woodstock, Georgia. With a 67-66 start, Woods jumped to a 5-stroke 36-hole lead but a final-round 72 was still good for a 2-shot victory.

40. Accenture Match Play Championship Feb. 29, 2004 Runner-up Davis Love III Woods defended his title at LaCosta, this time defeating Love in the championship match, to surpass Tom Watson on the all-time PGA Tour victory list. It was also Woods' only victory of the year -- and the first time since 1998 that he won just once -- as he worked through a swing change.

41. Buick Invitational Jan. 23, 2005 Runners-up: Luke Donald, Charles Howell III, Tom Lehman Woods returned to familiar territory for his third victory at Torrey Pines and his first win in nearly a year. He had to come from behind to overtake Lehman, who bogeyed the final two holes as Woods won by 3.

42. Ford Championship at Doral March 6, 2005 Runner-up: Phil Mickelson In one of their rare duels, Woods and Mickelson went at it in an epic final round at Doral that saw Woods overtake Mickelson on the back. It came down to the last hole, where Mickelson narrowly missed chipping in for a birdie that would have forced a playoff.

43. The Masters April 10, 2005 Runner-up: Chris DiMarco Woods' first major title in nearly three years, his first working with instructor Hank Haney, came in dramatic fashion. There was the famous chip-in for birdie from behind the 16th green; then two bogeys to fall into a playoff with DiMarco. Then a birdie on the first playoff hole. The win was Woods' ninth major title.

2006 - Tiger Woods walked off Medinah Country Club's No. 3 Course for the second time in six years in victory, collecting a third PGA Championship and was voted an honorary member by the club. pic.twitter.com/DudaYGk2u7 — PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) July 28, 2018

44. The Open July 17, 2005 Runner-up: Colin Montgomerie Woods won his second major of the year and his second Open at the Home of Golf, opening 66-67 at the Old Course in St. Andrews. Woods led by just 2 after three rounds, but cruised to a 5-stroke victory. Jack Nicklaus played his final major championship, missing the cut. It was Woods' 10th major title.

45. NEC Invitational Aug. 21, 2005 Runner-up: Chris DiMarco Woods claimed his ninth WGC title and fourth at Firestone, holding off DiMarco with a final-round 71 to win by 1.

46. American Express Championship Oct. 9, 2005 Runner-up: John Daly A fourth victory at a fourth different venue in this event -- this time at Harding Park in San Francisco. Woods shot a final-round 67 to tie Daly, who missed a short putt in a sudden-death playoff. It was Woods' sixth victory of the year.

47. Buick Invitational Jan. 29, 2006 Runners-up: Nathan Green, Jose Maria Olazabal A final-round 72 landed Woods in a tie with Green and Olazabal -- and he needed a final-hole birdie to do it. Woods won on the second extra hole when Olazabal missed a 4-foot putt.

48. Ford Championship at Doral March 5, 2006 Runners-up: David Toms, Camilo Villegas Woods defended his title, opening with a 64 and bogeying the final two holes of the tournament for a 1-shot margin of victory. It was the last time Doral served as a venue for a full-field PGA Tour event.

49. The Open July 23, 2006 Runner-up: Chris DiMarco Playing a baked-out Royal Liverpool, Woods famously hit just one driver during the tournament, electing to use irons off tees and rely on a precision iron game. For the second time in consecutive years, Woods had to hold off DiMarco, winning by 2 shots in what turned out to be an emotional win -- his first major title since the death of his father, Earl, earlier that year.

50. Buick Open Aug. 6, 2006 Runner-up: Jim Furyk Woods shot 66 all four days at Warwick Hills in Grand Blanc, Michigan, to win the tournament for the second time and reach a milestone 50th win. He finished 3 strokes ahead of Furyk.

51. PGA Championship Aug. 20, 2006 Runner-up: Shaun Micheel. Woods won his second straight major, third PGA and second at Medinah by fighting his way into a third-round tie with Luke Donald and then shooting a final-round 68 to finish 5 strokes ahead of Micheel. It was his 12th major title.

Hey, Tiger...Give us a snapshot of what you remember at Torrey "I made a putt in 2008 that a few people remember." pic.twitter.com/fRCqyNylir — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 25, 2017

52. Bridgestone Invitational Aug. 27, 2006 Runner-up: Stewart Cink. Woods won for the fourth time in five weeks at a place where it was becoming a habit, capturing his fifth victory at Firestone but needing a playoff to do it. It was his 11th WGC title.

53. Deutsche Bank Championship Sept. 4, 2006 Runner-up: Vijay Singh. Despite having won two majors and a WGC in the previous four weeks, Woods was not done winning. He shot a final-round 63 to beat Singh by 2 strokes.

54. American Express Championship Oct. 1, 2006 Runners-up: Ian Poulter, Adam Scott. Woods capped an eight-victory season with a whopping 8-stroke victory, his fifth in the event, all at different venues. This was played at The Grove in England, the week following a U.S. Ryder Cup loss in Ireland.

55. Buick Invitational Jan. 28, 2007 Runner-up: Charles Howell III Woods' fifth win at Torrey Pines came with some luck -- or bad luck for Howell, whose approach to the 18th green hit the flagstick and rolled back into the water.

56. CA Championship March 25, 2007 Runner-up: Brett Wetterich This was a third-straight victory for Woods at Doral, although the first in the new format as a World Golf Championship event. It was Woods' sixth WGC title in what had previously been called the American Express Invitational. He defeated Wetterich by 2 shots.

57. Wachovia Championship May 6, 2007 Runner-up: Steve Stricker Woods overcame a double-bogey on the back nine to overtake third-round leader Rory Sabbatini and win by 2 strokes over Stricker.

58. Bridgestone Invitational Aug. 5, 2007 Runners-up: Justin Rose, Rory Sabbatini Another rout at Firestone. Woods won the WGC event for the sixth time, shooting a final-round 65 to win by 8 as the tournament moved to the week prior to the PGA Championship for the first time.

59. PGA Championship Aug. 12, 2007 Runner-up: Woody Austin Woods narrowly missed shooting a major championship record 62 during the second round (settling for 63) and went on to a 2-shot victory in sweltering conditions at Southern Hills Country Club in Oklahoma for his 13th major title.

60. BMW Championship Sept. 9, 2007 Runner-up: Aaron Baddeley Formerly the Western Open, the longtime Chicago-area event got a new date and a new designation as a FedEx Cup playoff event. Woods shot a final-round 63 to win by 2 shots. It was considered Woods' fourth win at the Western/BMW, first in the newly-formed FedEx Cup playoffs.

61. Tour Championship Sept. 16, 2007 Runners-up: Mark Calcavecchia, Zach Johnson An exclamation point on another remarkable season, Woods won for the seventh time in 2007 and did so by 8 shots after opening the tournament with rounds of 64-63-64 on the par-70 East Lake course. Woods also became the first FedEx Cup champion after the win.

62. Buick Invitational Jan. 27, 2008 Runner-up: Ryuji Imada For the fourth straight year, Woods began his season with a victory at Torrey Pines, this time by 8 shots over Imada. He needed just a score of 71 in the final round to cruise to victory. It was his sixth PGA Tour victory at the venue.

63. Accenture Match Play Championship Feb. 24, 2008 Runner-up: Stewart Cink This was shaping up to be a special season for Woods, who was 3-for-3 in victories including a performance a few weeks earlier at the Dubai Desert Classic on the European Tour where he shot a final-round 65 to win by 1. In the 36-hole match play final against Cink, Woods put an end to it early with an 8 and 7 victory.

64. Arnold Palmer Invitational March 16, 2008 Runner-up: Bart Bryant Woods needed a 25-footer for birdie on the 18th hole to edge Bryant by 1 shot -- the first time in seven years he won with a birdie on the 72nd hole. It was his third victory of the year on the PGA Tour and his fifth in a row on tour. It was also his fifth at this tournament, but first under with Palmer's name in the title.

65. U.S. Open June 16, 2008 Runner-up: Rocco Mediate Among Woods' more epic victories, he defeated Mediate in an 18-hole playoff after making a 12-footer in regulation to force a tie. Woods, it was later learned, played with two broken bones in his left leg -- which needed surgery for a torn ACL. That kept him from playing the rest of the year, with a record of four wins in six PGA Tour events, including his 14th major title.

After Tiger Woods won his first Masters in 1997, he embraced his father, Earl. 22 years later after winning his 5th Masters, he got to share that same moment with his own son, Charlie. pic.twitter.com/BqH1AyvM6A — ESPN (@espn) April 15, 2019

66. Arnold Palmer Invitational March 29, 2009 Runner-up: Sean O'Hair Another walk-off win at Bay Hill, this time a 15-footer on the 18th green to shoot a final-round 67 and stun O'Hair by a shot in Woods' third start of the year. It was his first victory since the reconstructive knee surgery.

67. Memorial Tournament June 7, 2009 Runner-up: Jim Furyk An interesting tidbit: Woods hit every fairway in the tournament. To win, he overcame a 4-shot final-round deficit. Woods also birdied the last two holes to shoot 65.

68. AT&T National July 5, 2009 Runner-up: Hunter Mahan This tournament featured a duel that we've been sadly denied: Anthony Kim was in the mix, and took the lead early in the final round, before falling back. Kim had shot 62 at Congressional in the first round. Woods' final-round 67 was enough to hold off a charging Mahan by a stroke.

69. Buick Open Aug. 2, 2009 Runners-up: Greg Chalmers, John Senden, Roland Thatcher Woods added this tournament late as it would be the last for his longtime sponsor Buick at the Michigan venue. It would be the first of three straight events for Woods, including the PGA Championship. He shot a final-round 69 to win by 3.

70. WGC-Bridgestone Invitational Aug. 9, 2009 Runners-up: Padraig Harrington, Robert Allenby Woods was involved in a heated back-nine duel with three-time major winner Harrington, who fell apart after he and Woods received a slow-playing warning over the closing holes -- one that Woods later criticized. A final-round 65 meant a seventh victory at Firestone and a 4-shot win.

71. BMW Championship Sept. 13, 2009 Runners-up: Jim Furyk, Marc Leishman The dominating victory at Cog Hill -- his fifth at the venue, second in what was now a FedEx Cup playoff event -- made many wonder how Woods ever coughed up a lead to Y.E. Yang a few weeks earlier at the PGA Championship. He won by 8 shots and it was his sixth victory of the year on the PGA Tour.

72. Arnold Palmer Invitational March 25, 20012 Runner-up: Graeme McDowell His first official post-scandal victory, Woods did it at a familiar place, winning for the seventh time at Bay Hill. He shot a final-round 70 to pull away from McDowell and win by 5.

73. Memorial Tournament June 3, 2012 Runners-up: Andres Romero, Rory Sabbatini A historic victory for Woods, as it tied him with tournament host Jack Nicklaus with 73 PGA Tour titles. And he did it in style, coming from 4 strokes back, holing a flop shot on the 16th hole, and shooting a 5-under-par 67 to win by 2.

74. AT&T National July 1, 2012 Runner-up: Bo Van Pelt Woods got some help from Van Pelt, who bogeyed his last three holes as Woods shot a final-round 69 to win by 2. The third round was played without spectators at Congressional Country Club due to a storm that left the course dangerous. The win moved Woods past Jack Nicklaus and into second place on the all-time PGA Tour victory list, eight wins behind Sam Snead.

75. Farmers Insurance Open Jan. 28, 2013 Runners-up: Brandt Snedeker, Josh Teater For the seventh time (and eighth including the U.S. Open), Woods won at Torrey Pines. This time, though, it was with a shaky finish and a bizarre Monday ending. Woods at one point had an 8-shot lead, but bogeyed four of his last five holes in the fog-delayed tournament. He still won by 4 shots.

76. WGC-Cadillac Championship March 10, 2013 Runner-up: Steve Stricker A 66-65-67 start gave Woods a 4-shot lead through 54 holes, and he cruised to a 2-shot win over Stricker for his seventh title in this tournament. It was also the fourth time he won a tournament at the Doral Resort in Miami.

77. Arnold Palmer Invitational March 25, 2013 Runner-up: Justin Rose A Monday finish saw Woods get a hearty congratulations from tournament host Arnold Palmer as he ended up a 2-shot winner over Justin Rose, winning at Bay Hill for the eighth time to match a 48-year-old PGA Tour record. The victory also moved Woods back to No. 1 in the world for the first time since October of 2010.

78. Players Championship May 12, 2013 Runners-up: David Lingmerth, Kevin Streelman, Jeff Maggert A third-round spat with Sergio Garcia didn't keep Woods from prevailing at a place where he traditionally has had trouble. Neither did a later tee shot in the water at the 14th hole -- where his drop was questioned afterward. Rounds of 67-67 helped him get in front, and he closed with a 70 for a 2-shot win and his second at TPC Sawgrass.

79. WGC-Bridgestone Invitational Aug. 4, 2013 Runners-up: Keegan Bradley, Henrik Stenson A second-round 61 -- matching his career low -- had Woods well on his way to a 7-shot victory, his eighth at Firestone and his 18th World Golf Championship title.

80. Tour Championship Sept. 23, 2018 Runner-up: Billy Horschel His first victory since a remarkable return from spinal fusion surgery came after a couple of close calls at The Open (T-6) and PGA Championship (2nd) and saw him play with Rickie Fowler, Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy over the final three rounds. A third-round 65 put him in position, and Woods extended his lead on the front nine at East Lake, leading to a coronation as he played the 18th hole, winning by 2.

81. Masters April 14, 2019 Runners-up: Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Xander Schauffele With an all-star cast of players in contention on the final day, Woods for the first time came from behind to win a major, shooting a final-round 70 at Augusta National to win his 15th major title and first in 11 years. Trailing by 2 shots through 11 holes of the final round, Woods parred the par-3 12th while several pursuers found the water, then made birdies at the 13th, 15th and 16th holes to build a 2-shot lead he took to the 18th tee. He could withstand a final-hole bogey, setting off a celebration never seen by Woods in any of his previous victories.

82. Zozo Championship Oct. 27, 2019 Runner-up: Hideki Matsuyama Playing for the first time in nine weeks, Woods surprisingly looked strong and fit after a summer of physical struggles that included knee surgery following his final event of the 2018-19 season. After bogeying his first three holes, Woods shot an opening-round 64, and then followed it with another one to take a 2-shot 36-hole lead. He increased his advantage to 3 shots after 54 holes and needed seven holes on Monday to finish, winning for the 82nd time and tying Sam Snead's all-time PGA Tour record that dates to 1965.

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All 14 Of Jordan Spieth's Career Wins

Jordan Spieth celebrates five years on the PGA Tour. Here's a list of all of his victories.

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Jordan Spieth has already achieved more in his five year PGA Tour career than the majority of players achieve in a lifetime. By Matt Cradock

The 24 year old has 14 Professional wins Worldwide, including 11 PGA Tour victories and three majors.

This week marks the fifth anniversary of Spieth’s debut on the PGA Tour and what better way to celebrate it then to go through each Professional win of his career.

2013 John Deere Classic

The American's first victory came only a few months after securing his PGA Tour card.

At the John Deere Classic, Spieth shot a final round 65 to get himself into a three-man playoff, this also included a hole out from the greenside bunker on the 72 nd hole.

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https://youtu.be/jhyteS7C7x0

The three-man playoff included Zach Johnson and David Hearn and was a closely-fought encounter.

Eventually Spieth claimed the victory with a par on the fifth extra hole. The win made Spieth the fourth youngest player to win on the PGA Tour and the first teenager to win for 82 years.

2014 Emirates Australian Open

The second win of his career came at the end of 2014 in Australia. The Texan had been level with leaders Greg Chalmers and Brett Rumford after three rounds of play.

The fourth round however was all about Spieth, as he shot a course record -8 round of 63 to breeze to a six stroke victory.

2014 Hero World Challenge

The following week Spieth would claim yet another title in dominant fashion as he produced four amazing rounds of golf.

The American was in scintillating form as he set a new tournament record of -26, his four rounds were: 66,67,63 & 66.

2015 Valspar Championship

The second PGA Tour victory for Spieth came at the Valspar Championship in Florida.

In an amazing duel between Ryder Cup team mate Patrick Reed and fellow American Sean O’Hair it was Spieth who came out on top on the third extra playoff hole.

The tournament was dubbed one of the best of the year due to its ever-changing leaderboard and incredible escapes and saves.

2015 Masters

The second win of Spieth’s 2015 season came at the famous Augusta National Golf Club.

It was the first major win for the American and in the process he would smash several records along the way.

His first two rounds of 64 & 66 set the 36 hole scoring record. He would then break the 54 hole scoring record the next day and would end up equalling Tiger Woods’ overall record of -18.

Spieth also produced the most birdies during the Masters by making 28 and became the second-youngest person to win the Green Jacket.

2015 US Open

The 21-year-old followed up his first major victory with yet another one at the 2015 US Open.

Spieth started the final round in a four way tie for the lead and after posting a -1 round of 69 he was leading in the clubhouse.

However, Dustin Johnson stuck his approach shot on the 18 th to 12-feet for a possible eagle and it seemed the curtain was coming down on Spieth's hope for another Major.

Amazingly though, Johnson would three putt and hand the trophy to his countryman. The win made Spieth only the sixth player ever to win the Masters and the US Open in the same year and the fourth-youngest player to win multiple majors.

2015 John Deere Classic

Spieth claimed his second John Deere Classic in 2015 in yet another playoff, this time against American Tom Gillis.

The American had been questioned for playing the event as it was the Open Championship the following week and the a number of players were playing in Scotland as preparation.

However, Spieth would claim victory on the second playoff hole and help gain momentum going towards the third major of the year.

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2015 Tour Championship & FedEx Cup

Spieth’s incredible 2015 season was wrapped up in fine style as the American claimed the Tour Championship and with it the FedEx Cup.

The 22-year-old needed a victory to claim the FedEx Cup title and he delivered, as he fired four rounds in the 60s to finish four clear of Danny Lee, Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson .

The five victories during the season saw Spieth sweep all the major awards for the season: PGA Player of the Year and PGA Tour Player of the Year, the Vardon Trophy, Byron Nelson Award for leading the tour in scoring average and Arnold Palmer Award for leading the tour's money list.

2016 Hyundai Tournament of Champions

Spieth started 2016 in strong form once again; during the Tournament of Champions he would shoot a record score of -30.

He would win the event by eight strokes and also became just the second player in PGA Tour history to shoot -30 in a 72-hole event.

2016 Dean & DeLuca Invitational

Spieth claimed his first win at the Dean & DeLuca Invitational following his Masters collapse in April .

The American birdied six holes on the back nine to hold off fellow Countryman Harris English by three shots.

2016 Emirates Australian Open

This was the third win of the 2016 season for Spieth and it came in yet another playoff, this time against Australians Cameron Smith and Ashley Hall.

The American had shot a final round 69 to draw level with the leaders and a birdie on the first playoff hole was enough to win the tournament for the second time in three years.

2017 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

In his 100 th PGA Tour start he would claim yet another title, finishing at -19.

Coming into the final round he had a comfortable six shot lead and a final round of 70 helped cement the victory in convincing fashion.

With the win, Spieth became just the second man, along with Tiger Woods, to win nine times on the PGA Tour before the age of 24.

2017 Travelers Championship

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsAythDzjXg

And he wouldn’t have to wait long to secure his 10 th title in dramatic circumstances.

After a first round 63 he almost won wire-to-wire, finishing at -12 and tied with fellow countryman and close friend Daniel Berger .

At the first playoff hole Spieth would hole out from the greenside bunker to miraculously claim his 10 th PGA Tour win of his career. The celebration with caddie Michael Greller was superb.

2017 Open Championship

His third major win came at Royal Birkdale in once again an epic duel, this time with Matt Kuchar.

Having entered the final round with the outright lead he was soon trailing Kuchar, but a formidable run of birdie on the 14 th , eagle on the 15 th and birdies on 16 and 17 gave the 23-year-old a three stroke victory and the Claret Jug.

He therefore became only the second player in history to win three of golf's four majors before his 24 th birthday.

Spieth has also been apart of three President Cup teams claiming three out three wins and also two Ryder Cup teams winning once in 2016 and losing once in 2014.

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How many PGA Tour wins does Sam Burns have? Exploring the golfer's records

S am Burns has won five PGA Tour tournaments in his career. Having turned professional in 2017, he has won six tournaments so far, including five on the PGA Tour and one on the European Tour.

His first PGA Tour victory came in 2021 at the Valspar Championship. Burns defeated Keegan Bradley to take home his maiden PGA Tour title by three strokes. He ended with a score of less than seventeen after shooting four rounds of 67, 63, 69, and 68.

He defeated Nick Watney and Cameron Young by a single shot at the Sanderson Farms Championship in 2021, marking his second PGA Tour triumph. In 2022, Burns successfully defended his Valspar Championship title.

In a playoff match, he overcame Davis Riley to win his second Valspar Championship. In the same year, he defeated Scottie Scheffler in a playoff to win the Charles Schwab Challenge. His fifth PGA Tour victory came from winning the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play last year.

Here are the results of all the PGA Tour events that Sam Burns has won so far:

Valspar Championship

• Date: May 2, 2021
• Score: 67-63-69-68=267

Sanderson Farms Championship

• Date: Oct 3, 2021
• Score: 68-66-65-67=266
• Date: Mar 20, 2022
• Score: 64-67-67-69=267

Charles Schwab Challenge

• Date: May 29, 2022
• Score: 71-68-67-65=271

WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play

• Date: Mar 26, 2023
• Score: 6 and 5

Sam Burns shoots his career low at The American Express 2024

Sam Burns shot a career-low 61 in the second round on Friday, January 19, to take the lead on The American Express 2024 standings. With a combined score of under 17, the American golfer took the lead after two rounds in the PGA Tour competition. He shot an 11-under 61 on Friday, moving up 22 spots in the standings.

Sam Burns is in contention to clinch the sixth PGA Tour title of his career at this week's The American Express. He dominated on the golf course in the second round when shot a bogey-free round.

He teed off at the Nicklaus Tournament Course and made seven birdies and two eagles to settle for 11-under 61. In the first round of the tournament, Burns shot seven birdies and two bogeys to score 6-under 66.

Speaking about his performance at The American Express 2024, Burns said (via CBS Golf):

"I think, based off the scores, obviously everybody's shooting some good numbers, so I think just trying to keep pace and trying to hit as many quality shots and get as many looks as possible. I think the greens are really good around La Quinta, and here, and Stadium, so I think it comes down to being able to make some key putts."

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‘this is a great break': peter malnati takes advantage of rule en route to valspar win.

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Peter Malnati knew what a great break it was.

Malnati was locked into a tie with Cam Young for the lead late Sunday at the Valspar Championship when his approach shot at Innisbrook’s treacherous 16 th hole settled into a juicy lie in the rough just left of the green. From the look of things, an up-and-down par seemed a challenge, but that was before Malnati discovered a nearby sprinkler head interfering with his chipping stance.

The Rules of Golf allow players to take free relief from an immovable obstruction if it interferes with their intended swing or stance, provided that relief is within one club length and no closer to the hole.

Just to be safe, Malnati called in PGA Tour rules official Steve Rintoul, who had Malnati test several different stances to find his nearest point of complete relief.

“My nearest point is right here,” said Malnati, pointing to edge of first cut with his club.

Added walking reporter Aaron Oberholser: “This lie is terrible right now, so this could be a huge break.”

Rintoul then OK’d Malnati’s belief, and Malnati was permitted to drop in the shorter grass, his ball ending up on the fringe.

“I feel this is a great break, and I want you to be here,” Malnati told Rintoul as he was going through his drop process. He then asked Rintoul for further confirmation that he was proceeding correctly, “This is the right way to do it?” To which Rintoul nodded.

"I feel this is a great break." Here is how Peter Malnati went from a nasty lie to getting free relief and saving par on the 16th hole Sunday at the Valspar Championship: pic.twitter.com/1Q3uTIn5Xy — Golf Central (@GolfCentral) March 24, 2024

Malnati went on to hit a 50-foot putt about 5 feet past the hole, and he then made the clutch comebacker to save his par and stay even with Young.

And on the next hole, the par-3 17 th , Malnati stuck his tee ball to 6 feet and sank the putt to push to 12 under. Young bogeyed his finishing hole via three-putt up ahead while Malnati made a closing par to seal the two-shot win, his first PGA Tour win since his first at the 2015 Sanderson Farms Championship.

A great break indeed.

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Kevin streelman isn't just co-leading the valspar championship. he also cares deeply about the pga tour and has strong opinions on its future, share this article.

Upon graduating from Duke University in 2001, most of Kevin Streelman’s friends headed for Wall Street or law school. Not Streelman. He used his mom’s Nissan Altima to travel to South Dakota for the 2001 Dakotas Tour. He burned out three cars logging more than 300,000 miles crisscrossing the country while playing various tours before earning his PGA Tour card in 2008 and has kept it ever since, which is no easy trick. Along the way, he’s won twice on Tour, including the 2013 Valspar Championship, banking more than $26 million and this week marks his 444th Tour start.

Streelman, 45, opened with a 64 to grab the first-round lead 11 years after notching his maiden victory at Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead Course in Palm Harbor, Florida. It could be a big weekend for him if he were to win again, and certainly can go a long way to regaining his Tour privileges for yet another season. During his tenure Streelman also has been involved in Tour policy, serving on the Player Advisory Council, as a player director on the Policy Board (he noted that he mostly dealt with benign topics such as slow play and his tenure ending in 2019 was “the luckiest and greatest time to come off the board in the history of the game,” right before COVID hit and then the emergence of LIV on top of that), and most recently on the Tour’s Governance Committee, which was formed after the announcement of the PGA Tour’s framework agreement with PIF on June 6.

While he likely is on the back nine of his playing career, he still cares deeply about the Tour’s future and professional golf in general and has strong opinions about the direction it has been heading. The following conversation began in person at the Players Championship and resumed via phone after Streelman had weathered difficult conditions on Friday to share the 36-hole lead in Tampa.

GWK: What's your reaction to Joe Ogilvie, your fellow Dukie, being named to the two PGA Tour boards as a player liaison?

Joe Ogilvie follows his ball after hitting off of the 4th tee during the second round of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am golf tournament at the Spyglass Hill in Pebble Beach, CA. (Photo: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)

KS: I love Joe taking this role. I was involved in recommending him when I was on the Governance Committee. When we were designing that whole structure of having a player liaison director he was the first person I had in mind for that role. He’s smart and he cares. He’s a player first but also has a business mindset. I’ve been friends with him for 25 years. 

GWK: Has Jay Monahan done a good job of re-establishing trust?

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan looks on during the trophy ceremony during the final round of THE PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass on March 17, 2024 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

KS: I don’t know. Decisions were made, things were signed a year ago and we’re just trying to clarify some things. I’m 45, I care deeply about the Tour but I didn’t get elected as the next PAC chairman so it’s like I’ve gotta just try to keep my job. It’s one of those structures where the Tour is supposed to have our backs and you’re supposed to trust them and they kind of did some things where they lost some of that and now what more can we do except show up and play the next week. A tournament begins and we’re trying to win. We’re like rabbits in that sense. This other stuff is pretty far down the list. It’s been disheartening to a degree. 

The way the Tour has pivoted to appease the highest talent levels — and I understand that they need to be taken care of – but what makes the PGA Tour special is the accessibility for young superstars to have access to see how good they can do. We know how good the top players are. We want to see how good the next generation of superstars are when they get a chance to play the best of the best. So, seeing a onesome on a Thursday and Friday at a signature event is comical. Bring in the next ranked player in the FedEx standings. There’s some things that need to get ironed out now but part of us are like, yeah, if it’s at the cost of our careers, we’re going to try to figure it out. 

I don’t know where it falls. I sincerely hope our fans, our tournaments, our sponsors, our volunteers know that we really care about them. It’s what makes our sport great, it’s what makes our sport different. There are no guarantees of a job. You can have that magical week and it changes your life forever. You can miss 10 cuts in a row and have that magical week; there’s something beautiful about that. In baseball, your team can be out of it by June and it’s so depressing.

GWK: The Tour shared some current numbers for top 50 churn and the number of opportunities to the signature events being provided to the membership outside of the top 50 and it suggests the new model is working. What do you think?

Kevin Streelman on the 16th tee during the first round of the 2024 Valspar Championship. (Photo: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports)

KS: If we’re going to make separate tours, which is pretty much what we have now. As soon as you make the points different it’s hard to hang your hat on one tour. That being said, if they want those superstar big events, maybe you do it as a separate ultra-tour events and you pump up bigger boards and cut the access where you have players falling in, falling out. It could be exciting. I just don’t agree with 50-60 player fields. It’s not exciting to me. If that’s what our fans want, then that’s what our fans want.

GWK: Do you like the idea of a cut at the signature events?

KS: I understand both sides. Cuts are a part of the Tour and professional golf. Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods wanted them. If any of the guys have a problem with them, they should talk to them. There’s a reason they wanted them.

GWK: What's the right number for field size at the signature events?

KS: Last year's signature events were 100-120 and they were awesome, right?

GWK: But it led to some watered-down fields. Now you've got guys on the outside playing more regular events to get in, the guys who are playing poorly in the signature events are signing up for more regular events because they are worried about falling out of the top 50 for next season, plus the guys who have a shot at the getting into the next signature event are forced to play and protect their position. The result is better fields at the regular events to the extent that Korn Ferry guys and other rookies can't even get in.

KS: We've got to do a better job of getting the Korn Ferry Tour and rookies in as soon as possible.

GWK: Do you like that they expanded fields for Valspar, Houston and Valero?

KS: Do I like it? No. But do they deserve starts? Yes. We're not going to make a cut until Saturday at Valspar and then have to play threesomes on the weekend. It's something we fought against for years. Is there a magical answer? No. I hope we're investing to make as many events like this (the Players) as possible. I think our product is fricking awesome. I think the talent we have and our product should speak for itself. The competition needs to be healthy. 

GWK: What's your stance on allowing LIV Golf guys back on the Tour?

KS: It's probably lessened over time. At first, if you believe what Jay said, if you left you'd never play a PGA Tour event again. I think what they will probably do is say (to the Tour loyalists who stayed), look, you've got some equity and if we bring the top guys back the value of your equity in PGA Tour Enterprises is going to go up. I don't think a lot of the LIV guys will want to come back. My friends that are out there they like playing for $4 million purses against about 40 guys versus grinding and playing against these 20-year-old studs. 

GWK: Do you think LIV Golf will survive in some form if the Tour and PIF strike a deal?

Kevin Streelman watches his putt on the fifth green during the second round of the Valspar Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

KS: I think Yasir is interested in access to as many western sports leagues as possible. He just got into tennis with the ATP Tour. He's going to probably want an MLB team, an NFL team. A deal with SSG provides them with more access to those type of ownership communities. It's very smart but I don't think their passion is golf; I think their passion is Saudi Arabia. So they continue to invest for what's good for Saudi Arabia. It's naive to think they care about growing the game.

Editor's Note: The conversation picked up about a week later via phone in Tampa, where Streelman held a share of the 36-hole lead.

GWK: You were a member of the governance committee. What is the most important thing you achieved?

KS: We tried to go into it with a very open mind. We dove into our constitution and bylaws and looked at some things that were archaic and needed to be changed and ratified and then came up with some of our own opinions and ideas to better represent the entire player body not only for the PGA Tour policy board but also for the PGA Tour Enterprises board going forward. 

GWK: Anything specific that you were able to achieve ?

KS: It was an interesting process. There were some commonsense implications and changes that were made such as independent directors being more visible to the players and coming to a few more events. For the most part, the membership doesn't understand how the governance had been set up, how the independent directors are chosen, how the commissioner is chosen and how it's done in most modern board settings. It was our belief that the players should have more of a say, more of an influence on who and how they are put into office. 

GWK: On a scale of 1-10 with one being no biggie and 10 being mad as hell, what was your level of disappointment that you weren't selected PAC chair (Camilo Villegas won the vote) or chosen to replace Rory when he stepped down on the Tour policy board in November (Jordan Spieth was selected by the Board)?

KS: Probably somewhere in the middle. I said this from Day One, historically our voting percentage was in the 30s and 40s percent. I found that disappointing. I just encouraged the Tour to make the voting as simple and easy as possible. They did answer that request and added a link in registration where guys could go on and vote. I think 72 percent of the body voted. Unfortunately for me, I was injured during the tournaments when most of the voting went on. I'm good friends with Camillo. I think he will do a great job. He hasn't served as many posts as I have -- from board to PAC to governance committee -- but that doesn't necessarily mean I'd do a better job than him. I'd just say I have a little more hands-on experience. It's something I enjoy, it's something I could possibly see myself doing in the future on the business side of golf. All that being said, I didn't get elected and I didn't lose any sleep over it and I'm sure he'll do a good job.

GWK: How do you think the influx of capital from SSG and and potentially more rolling in will be invested?

KS: We're getting these informational portals sent to us of how they view the equity program working. No one still knows where they fall in those equity buckets. My hope is that it goes to investing in the PGA Tour, into our tournaments, our fan experience and our player experience week in, week out. I think if you build the best product, the best play and the fans will follow. I believe our product is superior and if you make that that much better then our fans should be content with the product we put in front of them. That was my hope all along, that any sort of influx of money would be invested into our product and I really hope that we don't just have to pay players that decided not to go and keep them as happy as possible. I don't think that's the point of an investment into our company. We'll have to see how this pans out. Very smart people have been brought into the fray and given us some really good past experience with people who have led in big sports leagues, bigger than golf, and what works and doesn't work for them, and hopefully we can make golf that much stronger.

GWK: What is your biggest frustration with the state of professional golf?

KS:  The obvious answer is the split. You want to see the best players playing together in historical tournaments. My dream as a kid was to play at Copperhead to Harbour Town and even John Deere. I drove around the country trying to Monday Qualify into these tournaments. I did it for the competition. The money took care of itself with great golf. It wasn't look what I've done and I deserve this. This false market narrative has been established of what people think their value is and it's upended the true Western market of how things have historically worked and that's what being dealt with now. 

GWK: Do you fear that pro golf is being overvalued too much and it will lead to an inevitable bubble burst?

KS:  I hope not. I wasn't privy to that meeting with Yasir and what his vision with professional golf is but clearly there are discussions that want him involved to some degree. When you hold the cards that he has, it's hard to deny or ignore anymore. It seems like it will have to somehow run through him if we can find some sort of continuity going forward. We will have to see how as time progresses here.

GWK: How would you unify the game and what should LIV players be forced to do on their return?

KS:  I don't know what guys will have to be forced to do. I think a number of them won't want to come back. I think a fair answer to that question would be guys that want to come back and lost their status would have to go through some sort of qualifying, whether that's Korn Ferry Tour or Q-School. You shouldn't be guaranteed starts to come back. The tricky question is the guys who still have exempt status. Should they come right back and play in Signature events? I don't believe so nor do I think that will be allowed. They come back and get some sort of status to play in I guess you call them standard PGA Tour events and play their way in, that would be more seen as more practical and fair from the rest of the body. It depends who you ask on that situation.

GWK: What do you think is the future of the fall schedule?

KS:  That's a good question. They haven't even released it to us yet. I guess it would be still chasing that 125 number but whether the Tour wants to make that number smaller or not, I bet that will be a question that gets asked. What the exempt number of cards should be if we're going to go with the Signature events idea for a long time. 

There are some great tournaments in the fall. I love going to Napa, I love the people in Jackson (Mississippi) and the course is incredible and Vegas is near and dear to my heart. It would be tough to lose tournaments that are willing to sponsor the PGA Tour.

GWK: Is having two tours a bad thing? If so, why?

KS:  If you ask players, if you ask sponsors, if you ask fans, you probably get different answers. For me, someone who has been out here for almost 20 years, it's a tough pill to swallow. Events like Pebble Beach that I played 16 times in a row, I'm top 5 on the all-time money list, Hartford, where I've played 16 years in a row and a past champion, Hilton Head, where I'm probably top 10 in all-time money, events that have been my bread and butter and have been part of my year schedule are now taken away. I understand why they've done it as well. It has made top players happy. They have smaller fields and bigger purses without cuts. It also makes other events stronger, you know you're going to get everyone from 51 to 150 and there are big names in that bracket also. We're seeing that who gets left out are the rookies and the Korn Ferry guys coming up. That's why we're adding to these fields to accommodate those guys, which I understand.

If you want to talk about a fair factor, I'd say it's a little unfair playing Signature events short, playing a one-some at Bay Hill on Thursday and Friday rubbed me the wrong way, and then playing our normal events long. That to me from a competitive fairness factor doesn't seem right. That's the bed that's been made. We're working through the kinks now but it's just a shame that it's coming at the expense of people's careers. 

GWK: If you were commish for a day, what would you do?

KS:  It would be a busy day. I would sit down with our sponsors and make them a priority. I would sit down with top players and mid-level and veteran players too and get to some sort of vision of what we want to build going forward. I think it's tough to go too far backwards once you've created these Signature events.

My outside-the-box idea that I'd talk to guys about that I think could have some legs is I'd say if this is what you want to do, I'll give you 15-16 100-120 field events with the top players and the majors and all of a sudden you have 20 events to choose from. Then you have an elevated Korn Ferry Tour or PGA Tour smaller deal and you have 144 players consisting of the best KFT and all the PGA Tour players who didn't finish high enough and you set those purses in the $4 million-$8 million area. Then you have some relegation. So, 20-25 guys moving up and moving down to those two tours. At that price point, you'd have a lot more accessibility to different markets in different cities and I think you could put on a great tour on that secondary tour but then the top guys can get their smaller fields, their smaller schedule, and you make it global and maybe 4-5 of those tournament you give to LIV and make those massive for those guys.

But you have to have hope as a professional golfer. You have to be able to move in or out. If you don't perform, you have to fall out and if you do perform you have to have hope you can move forward. A lot of these rookies now don't have a ton of hope. They have five spots in these swings and they're not even getting into many events. I had a thought something like this could give guys enough drive to get to those big events but make a nice enough living where they can feel like they are still playing big professional events that mean things and also put things at a price point where our markets and our sponsors can afford it. 

GWK: Is there a place for team golf in the PGA Tour?

KS:  I haven't thought much about it. It's not really my thing. I like either getting the glory or having the pain and I want it all on my shoulders. Even in college, if the team did well and I played badly, I didn't feel much better about myself. To me, golf is an individual sport.

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Terminally-ill friend inspires Erik van Rooyen to World Wide Technology victory

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The hug was deep and meaningful. Erik van Rooyen was silent as his lengthy eagle putt dropped and he pumped one fist while his caddie Alex Gaugert put both his arms in the air. A silent stare followed between player and caddie. These long-time friends didn’t need to say anything. How could they? Why would they? They already knew.

This one was for Jon.

Jon Trasamar played collegiate golf alongside van Rooyen and Gaugert at the University of Minnesota. They won the 2014 Big Ten Championship as a team, and Trasamar finished tied for third as an individual. He kept clawing away at the grind that is professional golf. Mini-tours, mostly. A caddie gig to help pay the bills. A wife, Allie – they met in 2016 and were married in 2022.

And then melanoma. Cancer. He was in remission, and then, via text on Tuesday, van Rooyen and Gaugert learned the cancer had returned and spread throughout his body. Van Rooyen, after winning his second PGA TOUR title on Sunday at the World Wide Technology Championship, admitted the terrible truth. His friend was not going to make it. He and Gaugert would fly to Minnesota on Monday to see him for, likely, one of the last times. Van Rooyen said his friend has six to 10 weeks left – maybe less.

And that’s life. Real life. He knows the best man at his wedding won’t be around much longer.

“Every shot out there today was for him,” van Rooyen said, minutes after his victory at El Cardonal at Diamante was confirmed.

Erik van Rooyen's emotional interview after winning World Wide Technology

Van Rooyen admitted Friday after his round he got back to his hotel room and broke down in tears. He said Saturday night a win would “mean everything” because it would secure his job for 2024 – he entered the week at No. 125 on the FedExCup Fall standings, squarely on the bubble to retain TOUR exempt status – and he could go home to see his friend.

As a 19-year-old, van Rooyen left South Africa to attend the University of Minnesota. Trasamar and his family met him at the airport – they lived about two hours away from Minneapolis – and they were college roommates for three years.

“He was like a brother to me,” van Rooyen said.

Van Rooyen gets plenty with this victory – job security and opportunities for big events and nearly $1.5 million – but winning wasn’t the emphasis, he said. He might not have cared whether he won or lost Sunday, but van Rooyen did win. In style, too.

Sunday brought high drama throughout, with four players separated by just a shot into the 72nd hole. But van Rooyen wasn’t playing for himself. He didn’t care about the birdies because he wasn’t thinking about the birdies. His friend, who he loves, was going through something that van Rooyen couldn’t believe.

Before he knew it, van Rooyen had an eagle attempt to win the whole thing. He had made six birdies already in eight holes, including mid-range efforts on Nos. 16 and 17. There was no way he was missing that eagle putt.

An incredible 8-under 28 on the back nine and a 9-under 63 Sunday in Mexico meant a two-shot victory over Matt Kuchar and Camilo Villegas. It was van Rooyen’s second TOUR title, his first coming at the 2021 Barracuda Championship.

Erik van Rooyen’s Round 4 winning highlights from World Wide Technology

It was a trying year, van Rooyen said. Coming into the week, he missed more cuts than he made and was 151st on TOUR in Strokes Gained: Total. He started working with instructor Sean Foley at the U.S. Open and has seen gradual improvement. The results have followed, slowly but surely; he finished tied for sixth at the Barracuda Championship in August, and he arrived in Mexico on the strength of five straight top-25s between the TOUR and DP World Tour.

Things coalesced on Sunday, with fervor.

“Listen,” Kuchar said, “the birdie-birdie-eagle finish is impressive. What was that?. ... 8-under par on the final nine holes is quite an awesome finale. Hard to keep up with.

“At the end of the day you tip your hat and say that’s some awesome playing.”

It was indeed.

It was a dedicated triumph. Surround yourself, as the saying goes, only with people who are going to lift you higher.

Erik van Rooyen knew that about Jon Trasamar. No words were needed after that hug with Gaugert. They knew. It was a win for a friend.

“When I kick the bucket one day, whenever that might be, this is not what I’m going to be thinking about,” van Rooyen said. “I’m going to be thinking about the people that I love the most, and Jon Trasamar is one of those people.”