Most wins, low scoring earn Tiger player of the year nod.
By BOB HARIG
Published December 9, 2003
When considering the significant standards he has set, this was a rather ordinary year for Tiger Woods, highlighted by the fact that he did not win a major championship.
In fact, for the first time since 1998, Woods did not win the PGA Tour money title either.
Yet, with players posting career seasons all around him, Woods was not denied another achievement: PGA Tour Player of the Year.
In what was considered to be the closest race since Mark O'Meara beat David Duval in 1998, Woods was named the recipient of the honor on Monday, the fifth straight year he has won the award voted on by PGA players. Results were not announced, nor were other candidates Vijay Singh, Davis Love and Jim Furyk ranked, per PGA Tour policy.
"It's right up there," said Woods when asked during a conference call where the award ranks among his many achievements. "If you look at my career so far, the only year I didn't win a big award was '98. Every year I've won the highest award I could possibly get. Rookie of the year (1996) and then six players of the year. I'm very proud of that. My majors are probably No. 1 and my cut streak has to be No. 2, but this is up there."
Ben Curtis, who won the British Open, earned rookie of the year honors, and Peter Jacobsen, who at age 49 won the Greater Hartford Open, was named comeback player of the year.
Woods, who turns 28 on Dec. 30, won a season-high five times, including two World Golf Championship events, in just 18 PGA Tour starts. He ran his total of PGA Tour titles to 39. He also won his fifth straight Vardon Trophy for low scoring average with 68.41 (second lowest in history to his 2000 total) and he extended his cut streak (and broke Byron Nelson's record in the process) to 114. But he failed to win a major championship for the first time since 1998 and has gone six straight without capturing one of the Grand Slam events. Woods has eight majors. Singh captured the money title, won four times and had a particularly impressive finish, winning twice and finishing in the top 10 in his last eight events. He also finished ahead of Woods in three of the four majors. Love was third on the money list and won four times, including the prestigious Players Championship. Weir won the Masters and three total tournaments while posting the best record in the majors. Furyk won the U.S. Open and one other PGA event. All of that led to talk that someone other than Woods might win the award. But in the end, Woods' win total was the highest and his scoring average the lowest.
"There's a tremendous amount of satisfaction," Woods said. "It just shows that guys on the tour respect that I was consistent. I've won numerous times. They respect that."
Woods started the year sidelined after offseason knee surgery. He returned in style, winning three of his first four events, including his fourth straight Bay Hill Invitational. He won the Buick Invitational, Match Play Championship, Western Open and American Express Championship. He said the highlight of the year was his victory at the Match Play, and the biggest disappointment was the British Open.
"I was right there going into the back nine with a chance to win it," said Woods, who tied for fourth. "I just made some big mistakes. I bogeyed the 15th and 17th and that took me out of it. If I par those two holes, I'm in a playoff. It was very disappointing. I played so well all week but couldn't get anything going on the back nine."
