On October 27, 2019, Tiger Woods won the ZOZO Championship, marking the 82nd PGA Tour title of his career. With that victory, Woods tied the all-time PGA Tour wins record held by Sam Snead. And as Golf Digest reminded fans of this milestone on Instagram just a few hours ago, Tiger Woods fans have found themselves once again in familiar territory, debating whether the record truly tells the whole story.

The debate isn’t new. Fans have long questioned Sam Snead’s 82 wins, pointing out that many of his victories came under circumstances that would never qualify today. As Golf Digest’s Shane Ryan pointed out in his article last year, ‘Should an 18-hole event that wasn’t a PGA Tour tournament at the time count? How about a 36-hole exhibition played against just three other players? Or an event with no other PGA Tour pros where Snead beat a field of club golfers by 16 shots?’

These are not hypothetical scenarios, but they were actually counted as part of Snead’s 82 wins. But here’s where things get messy. Fans are scrutinizing Snead’s record, claiming that many of his victories weren’t exactly earned on the same terms Woods faced. And we’ll tell you why. The origin of this peculiar situation goes back to the ’80s.

Deane Beman, then commissioner of the PGA Tour, assembled a panel to review pre-merger tournaments and decide what counted as official. A year of research was done, and the final decisions were made by nine men in a single afternoon, with “historical significance” as their benchmark. This gave them plenty of leeway to credit events that, by today’s rules, would never qualify. As a result, Snead’s total reached 82, ironically, a number that has now become the exact total of Woods’s career wins.

But many argue this is unfair, as the contrast between the two men is striking. Tiger’s victories are all undisputed PGA Tour events, culminating with his 2019 ZOZO Championship win. Snead’s wins, by contrast, include 36-hole tournaments, smaller fields, or events that ended in ties due to darkness. Even the famed Bing Crosby Pro-Am in 1950 was credited as a win despite a four-way tie after play was suspended. In fact, if Woods had played under Snead’s ‘lenient’ standards, he might have racked up close to 100 wins.

Fans have been quick to voice their frustration in the past and even now, pointing out that while Snead’s record is official, it doesn’t always reflect the same level of competition or challenge that Woods faced throughout his career.

Fans speak out on the Tiger Woods-Sam Snead debate

Fans did not hold back in weighing in on the Woods–Snead debate when Golf Digest reminded everyone of the record.  One fan wrote, “Any real PGA Tour fan already acknowledges Tiger as the winningest. Snead is a legend, but many of his ‘wins’ weren’t legitimate tournaments. If you counted all the silly season junk to make it apples to apples, Tiger would be at 100, if not more.” It was a blunt comment, but it reflected what we highlighted earlier. Sam Snead’s record included a lot of titles that today would definitely not be counted as PGA Tour titles.

Another chimed in with similar points, highlighting the irregularities in Snead’s record. “Snead has a win counted where no other PGA Tour players were in the field, as well as a 36-hole exhibition and a four-ball tournament. I’m curious about everyone’s opinions here, or if there are any similar circumstances we could say that Tiger had as far as wins being counted.”

Going by what Golf Digest writer Kevin Cox pointed out in 2018, if we were to officially count Snead’s wins based on actual PGA Tour norms, his total would be around 74. Which means Tiger Woods had tied this record long ago, in 2012, when he earned his 74th PGA Tour title at the AT&T National. That’s probably why one fan quipped, “Snead should have a huge asterisk beside his 82.”

Then, there were also more straightforward comments of support for Woods. One fan wrote, “Just one more for the people; I don’t care which one it is. He needs to pass Snead,” while another leaned towards Woods’ physical setbacks with “If he could’ve just stayed healthy and played more tournaments. He would’ve smashed that record.”

Woods’s career has been defined not just by his dominance but by perseverance. He has undergone multiple surgeries and battled injuries that would have ended many careers, yet he continued to compete at the highest level. For many fans, that sets Woods apart. While the record books may officially tie him with Snead at 82 wins, the context of those victories makes it clear that Woods’ achievements stand in a league of their own.