The 4 Best PGA Tour Performances in the 2000s

The debate as to who is the greatest golfer of all-time is an interesting one. It's tough to compare players from different eras. However, tournament victories, especially in major championships, is as good of a metric as any to determine the best golfers. Jack Nicklaus is the all-time leader with 18 major championships, three ahead of Tiger Woods, who is tied with Sam Snead for the all-time lead with 82 victories on the PGA Tour.

Woods may have challengers in the debate for the greatest golfer of all-time. After all, Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, and Bobby Jones were all among the best players of their respective eras. There’s no question, however, that Woods is the most accomplished golfer in the 21st century. For proof, here's a look at the four best individual seasons on the PGA Tour in the 2000s, three of which belong to Woods.

1. Tiger Woods (2000)

Already a two-time major champion winner by the start of the 2000 season, Woods went on to have his most successful year on the PGA Tour with nine tournament victories. He won three of the four majors (PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and The Open Championship) and also won the Mercedes Championship, AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, Bay Hill Invitational, Memorial Tournament, WGC-NEC Invitational, and Bell Canadian Open. Not surprisingly, he won PGA Tour Player of the Year in 2000.

It wasn't just the victories that made Woods's 2000 season so memorable, rather the dominance he displayed over his fellow competitors. He won his three majors by a combined 24 shots. He won the U.S. Open with a four-round score of 12-under par, 15 strokes ahead of second place finishers Miguel Ángel Jiménez and Ernie Els. This set a record that still stands today as the largest margin of victory in a major championship. He also set a record for most prize money in a single season with $10.7 million and was first in greens in regulation at 75.15 percent.

2. Vijay Singh (2004)

Vijay Singh is the only golfer in the 21st century to be as dominant as Woods in a single season. He also won nine tournaments in the 2004 season. No other golfer this century has won more than five tournaments in a single year, although Scottie Scheffler already had four victories through the first half of the 2024 season. Singh, a native of Fiji and three-time major champion, won his first event of the season at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and later won the Shell Houston Open, HP Classic of New Orleans, and Chrysler Championship, among other events. He won the PGA Championship in a playoff, beating Chris DiMarco and Justin Leonard.

While he tied Woods's 21st century record for most tournament victories, Singh played 30 more rounds than Woods did in his record-setting 2000 season and had a one-shot higher scoring average (68.8 compared to 67.8).

3. Tiger Woods (2006)

Woods's 2006 season was just as, if not more, impressive as his 2000 season. While he had one fewer tournament victory, he played in 18 fewer rounds, drove the ball farther on average (306.4 compared to 298) and reached the green in regulation 74.2 percent of the time. He won his first tournament of the year at the Buick Invitational and later won the Ford Championship at Doral, The Open Championship, Buick Open, PGA Championship, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, Deutsche Bank Championship, and WGC-American Express Championship. He also won two unofficial events (PGA Grand Slam of Golf and Target World Challenge).

Woods finished first on the money list with $9.9 million in earnings in 2006 and was named PGA Tour Player of the Year. His performance in 2006 was even more impressive considering he dealt with the death of his father and mentor in May of that year. Woods took time off to be with his father as his health deteriorated and missed the cut for the first time at a major in the U.S. Open upon his return. Yet, he won six times after his father passed, including an emotional victory at The Open.

4. Tiger Woods (2007)

Woods built upon his dominant stretch in late 2006, winning seven events in 2007, including the PGA Championship, the 10th major title of his career. He also won the Buick Invitational, WGC-CA Championship, Wachovia Championship, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, BMW Championship, and The Tour Championship. He was named PGA Tour Player of the Year and won the inaugural FedEx Cup Championship, finishing ahead of Steve Stricker, Phil Mickelson, Rory Sabbatini, and K.J. Choi. He played only 64 rounds in 2007 and had a scoring average of 67.8, equaling his average in his career-best year of 2000.

Woods's 2009 and 2005 seasons are also among the best individual performances on the PGA Tour in the 21st century. He won six events in both years. Justin Thomas, Jason Day, and Jordan Spieth are the only players in the 21st century outside of Woods and Singh to win at least five events in a single season.