Woods
captures another big award
THOUSAND OAKS (AP) -- Tiger Woods' least
productive season since 1998 was still enough
for him to be voted PGA Tour player of the
year.
He
didn't win a major.
He
didn't even win the PGA Tour money title.
But
when the votes from more than 200 of his
peers were tallied, Woods had just enough
to edge Vijay Singh and win the award for
the fifth straight time, and the sixth time
in his seven full seasons on tour.
"There's
a tremendous amount of satisfaction because
it just shows that guys on the tour respect
that I was consistent, that I've won numerous
times," Woods said. "I think that's
what the award reflects."
It
wasn't the slump that some made it out to
be, despite failing to win a major for the
first time since 1998.
Woods
still led the PGA Tour with five victories,
including two World Golf Championships.
His 68.41 adjusted scoring average was the
second-lowest in history, earning him a
fifth straight Vardon Trophy.
The
PGA Tour does not release final votes, but
it was believed to be one of the closest
races since the award began in 1990.
Ben
Curtis was voted rookie of the year for
winning the British Open in his first appearance
at a major. Peter Jacobsen was voted comeback
player of the year for winning the Greater
Hartford Open at age 49, his first tour
victory in eight years.
Woods
became the first player since Greg Norman
in 1995 to win the award without capturing
a major championship.
While
Woods has said majors are the most meaningful
criteria in these awards, it was clear that
more went into this vote.
"Number
of wins and quality for the entire year,"
Woods said. "I had the second-lowest
scoring average in tour history next to
mine in 2000, so that shows I played at
a consistent level for the entire year."
Singh
was equally consistent, winning four times
-- in the winter, spring, summer and fall
-- and ending Woods' four-year reign atop
the money list with $7.5 million in 27 tournaments,
nine more than Woods played.
The
40-year-old Fijian was consistent from start
to finish, and he was particularly strong
at the end of the year with two victories
and eight straight finishes in the top 10
as he surged past Woods to win the money
title.
"He
was more consistent than he's ever been,"
Woods said. "Toward the end of the
year, he just got on a roll and was very
consistent with his game. He had a lot of
confidence. It just seemed like every single
week he was in the top 10. That's what it's
all about."
Singh
finished ahead of Woods in three of the
majors, although neither won any of the
four Grand Slam events.
Masters
champion Mike Weir, U.S. Open champion Jim
Furyk and Davis Love III, whose four victories
included The Players Championship, also
were on the ballot.
Woods
last month won the points-based PGA of America
player of the year award for the fifth straight
year.
These
honors usually have been decided by the
end of the summer. This was the closest
race since 1998, when Mark O'Meara's two
majors were voted ahead of David Duval's
four tour victories, money title and the
Vardon Trophy.
That
was the only season Woods failed to win
a major award.
He
won PGA Tour rookie of the year in 1996,
winning twice in eight tournaments to qualify
for the Tour Championship, still one of
his most remarkable feats.
"If
you look at my career so far, the only year
I really didn't win a big award was '98,"
Woods said. "I'm very proud of that
because it shows consistency at a high level
for an extended period of time."
Even
more satisfying for Woods is that he missed
the first five weeks of the year while recovering
from knee surgery, and wasn't sure how it
would affect his game.
He
answered that immediately, winning the Buick
Invitational by four shots in his first
start. Woods won the Accenture Match Play
Championship two weeks later, and won by
11 shots at the Bay Hill Invitational.
He
finished in the top five in 10 of his 18
tournaments.
The
only black mark were the majors, where the
closest he came was a tie for fourth --
two shots behind Curtis -- at the British
Open.
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