A Look at Some of Tiger Woods' Most Impressive Records

The debate over the best golfer of all time is a contentious one, but the arguments usually center on Jack Nicklaus or Tiger Woods. Nicklaus won a record 18 majors, including six Masters, from 1962 to 1986, but doesn't consider himself the greatest the sport has ever seen. He gives that honor to Bobby Jones, a pioneer who won seven majors and co-founded the Masters Tournament before retiring at just 28 years old. Nicklaus also stated that he believes Woods, a 15-time major winner, may have broken his record had he been able to avoid major injuries.

Although he may not have the most major titles, there is plenty of evidence and statistics to back up the claim that Woods is the greatest of all-time. Here's a look at some of his most impressive records.

Tied for Most PGA Tour Wins

Woods is tied with Sam Snead for the most wins on the PGA Tour with 82. The 49-year-old legend is still active and plans to play a handful of events in 2025, so it's not inconceivable, although unlikely, that he breaks the record. He has only won a few tournaments since 2017 and most recently won at the 2019 Masters.

Woods won his first tournament in 1996 at just 20 years old and was named PGA Tour Rookie of the Year. He won at least once in the next 13 years, including a career-best nine times in 2000. Woods has also won several tournaments that aren't official PGA Tour events, including the Hero World Challenge, where he is a five-time winner. He also won World Cup of Golf titles in 1999 and 2000 with Mark O'Meara and David Duval.

Lowest Scoring Average in a Season

The 2000 season was undeniably Woods' best year on the PGA Tour. Three of the nine events he won that year were majors (U.S. Open, The Open Championship, and PGA Championship) and he recorded the lowest scoring average in PGA Tour history. Woods broke Byron Nelson's 55-year record, registering an average of 68.17.

In addition to the three major titles, Woods won the Mercedes Championship, AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, Bay Hill Invitational, Memorial Tournament, and Bell Canadian Open. He earned several awards that season, including Male Athlete of the Year (Associated Press), Sportsman of the Year (Sports Illustrated), and Most Powerful Person in Sports (The Sporting News).

Most Consecutive Cuts Made

Woods broke another record previously held by Nelson in the early 2000s, making the cut in 142 consecutive PGA Tour events. The streak began in 1998 and ended, ironically, in 2005 when he missed the cut at the Byron Nelson Championship. He narrowly missed the cut by one stroke after missing a 15-foot putt on the 18th hole in the second round.

"It was always going to come to an end eventually, wasn't it?" said former player Robert Allenby. "Obviously, it was a hell of a feat. That record will never be broken."

As of January 5, 2025, Xander Schauffele had the longest current streak of consecutive events without a missed cut at 57.

Most Weeks at World No. 1

Judging by the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), which began in April 1986, there has been nobody better than Woods in the modern era. He holds the record for most total (683) and consecutive weeks (281) atop the OWGR. Only four golfers—Woods, Nick Faldo, Greg Norman, and Scottie Scheffler—have spent at least one full calendar year as the top-ranked player. Woods is the only one of those three to have done so multiple times, holding No. 1 status for the entire year in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009.

Youngest Grand Slam Winner

The Grand Slam in golf refers to winning each of the four major championships. Woods was already a three-time major winner when he arrived at the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland, for The Open Championship in 2000. He completed the career Grand Slam, winning the tournament in dominant fashion with a four-round score of 19-under par, eight strokes ahead of runners-up Ernie Els and Thomas Bjorn.

Woods was just 24 years old when he completed the career Grand Slam, breaking the record previously held by Nicklaus, who was 26 when he accomplished the feat.

Most Wins at These 6 Events

Woods is also the most accomplished golfer at six non-major tournaments, including four PGA Tour events. He won the Arnold Palmer Invitational a record eight times from 2000 to 2013 and Farmers Insurance Open seven times from 1999 to 2013. The Arnold Palmer Invitational has been held every year since 1979 and no other player has won more than twice. Woods also holds the record for most wins at the BMW Championship and Memorial Tournament, with five titles at each event.

In addition, Woods won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational a record eight times and the WGC-Cadillac Championship seven times.