Tiger Woods returns to golf, with Sam Snead’s wins record beckoning

All these years, Tiger Woods consumed himself with one target: Jack Nicklaus and his 18 major championship titles. The quest was ambitious, tantalizing, captivating. And it seemed plausible for most of Woods’ transcendent career.

Now, as he prepares to make his 2019 debut Thursday in San Diego, Nicklaus no longer is part of the conversation. Woods remains stuck on 14 majors as he attempts to build on his remarkable 2018 comeback, which culminated with a victory at the Tour Championship in September.

So maybe it’s time to focus on Sam Snead’s all-time record of 82 PGA Tour wins, the standard since 1965. That record isn’t as sexy as Nicklaus’ celebrated mark in majors, but it’s still important and worthy of our attention.