Tiger emerges from 'most challenging' career phase with record win

Tiger Woods said Monday his latest injury comeback to win the Zozo Championship and tie the US PGA Tour's win record had ended the "most challenging" phase of his storied career.

Woods held off Hideki Matsuyama at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club to equal Sam Snead's record of 82 wins and move to number six in the world rankings from 10th.

It was his first tournament since arthroscopic left knee surgery in August and came after he started the tournament on Thursday with three straight bogeys.

Four back surgeries, countless knee operations, marital strife and run-ins with the law meant Woods had not won a major since 2008 and no tournaments since 2013 when he teed up at the Players Championship at East Lake, Atlanta, just over a year ago.

He had endured two years out of the game and hobbled out of the February 2018 Dubai Desert Classic with back spasms on his long-awaited return.

His ranking plummeted to 656 at the end of 2017, and with form and fitness deserting him many observers felt he might never get the three further tour wins he needed to tie Snead, let alone another major.

Not only did he win the Tour Championship for his first victory in five years, but Woods went on to secure a fifth Green Jacket and 15th major at Augusta earlier this year to stand just three behind Jack Nicklaus's record 18.

And now he stands unsurpassed as the most successful PGA Tour golfer of all time after victory at the weather-delayed inaugural tournament in Japan.

"Well, it's satisfying to dig my way out of it and figure out a way," said Woods, who finished three shots clear on 19-under par.

"As far as playing, I didn't really know that I would come back and play at this level.

"But I've come back with different games over the years, moving patterns, and this one's been obviously the most challenging," he said, after four stunning rounds of 64, 64, 66 and 67 for a three-stroke win.

- Olympic ambition -
====================
"Then having another procedure a couple months ago and again coming back and winning an event, not easy to do, but I trust my hands and today was no different."
"If you would have asked me a few years ago, I would have given you a different answer, but certainly the future looks brighter than it has."