Tiger Woods has won all four golf majors at least three times in his career. While he is a five-time Masters winner, the second most victories came at the PGA Championship. He is a four-time champion in what is now scheduled as the second major of the season.
Since the 2024 Masters is successfully concluded, the next major fixture this year is the PGA Championship. Woods has already confirmed that he will participate in all four majors. So, before he heads to Valhalla Golf Course for his 23rd start, let’s take a look at his greatest moment in the major:
Tiger Woods Defeats Sergio Garcia At 1999 PGA Championship
After becoming a Masters champion in 1997, Woods, 23, had pressure confronting a rising Spanish star Sergio Garcia, 19, on Sunday at Medinah Country Club. The competition was between two of the youngest players on the field.
The American almost let go of his five-stroke lead when Garcia started to change things up with his brilliance. However, that sensational 8-foot par save on the 17th hole made things easier for Woods, helping him secure his second major title.
Playoff Win Against Bob May At 2000 PGA Championship
Defending a major title is not an easy task. But a 24-year-old Tiger Woods knew exactly what to do to live those expectations. In the 2000 season, he had already won two major titles – the US Open and The Open Championship. He entered the then-scheduled final major with a dominant form. But it was Bob May’s sensational efforts on Sunday at Valhalla Golf Club that almost ruined his party.
The American golfer had to face May in a three-hole aggregate playoff. His amazing birdie putt on the first playoff hole gave him a lead over the latter which he could never overcome. Finally, it was a 24-year-old rising star who claimed his fifth major title.
2006 PGA Championship Heroics
Woods’ most dominant performance at the PGA Championship was in 2006. After entering the final round as a joint leader with Luke Donald, the American golfer was in a different mood from the first hole on Sunday at Medinah Country Club.
He shot birdies after birdies in the final round to tie his record of the lowest aggregate score at the tournament – 18 under par. The American also became the first player in history to win the tournament twice at the same venue.
Woods Defends Title At 2007 PGA Championship
In 2007, the then 12-time major winner was already past Walter Hagen to be the second-most major title winner. That year, he had already recorded four PGA Tour victories before entering the Southern Hills Country Club in August. Woods had to stand on the beliefs of his fans and by the end of the third round, he was on the top of the leaderboard.
Despite shooting three bogeys on Sunday, his game did not look rusty at all. Thanks to his three-stroke lead and four amazing birdies in the final round, he defeated Woody Austin to record his 13th consecutive victory as an outright 54-hole leader at the major championships.
Tiger Woods will again be teeing up at Valhalla Golf Course this coming May for the 2024 PGA Championship. Taking his fitness and performance statistics in the past years, expecting a win from him may not be feasible. However, the legendary golfer can still turn the odds in his favor like he did when he won the 2019 Masters.
