The concept of the Playoffs was introduced to ensure that every golf season ended with only the best at the top. However, prior to that, the PGA Tour determined season champions based on who earned the most, which lacked a sense of achievement or ‘oomph’ that other sports had, which helped them crown the champion. Hence, in 2007, former commissioner Tim Finchem & co. introduced the FedEx Cup standings and the playoffs to bring that exclusivity to the rankings and help the players stand out at the end of the main season of the Tour. And this was the perfect time for young Tiger Woods to start dominating it.

Over the next decade, the big cat was not a frequent flyer on the FedEx Cup playoffs. But whenever he was in it, he made sure he left an impact on everyone. We’re here to find some 5 of Tiger Woods’s most impactful moments in the FedEx Cup playoffs ever since he terrorized it in 2007.

He nearly won in his first-ever playoff against his arch-rival

In 2007, the playoffs were a 4 event series. Like in 2025, the first tournament was the FedEx St Jude Championship, known as The Barclays back then. Tiger Woods missed the tournament and ended up participating in the second playoff, the 2007 Deutsche Bank Championship. After three rounds of action, he and Phil Mickelson were battling it out on Championship Sunday. Only 1 stroke separated the arch-rivals as they fought for their first-ever playoff win. After 18 holes of grueling action, it was Lefty who came out on top after scoring 5-under 66 to take home the title. Mickelson may have thought that he had gotten one over Woods. Little did he know, he had only lit the fire inside the 82-time PGA Tour champion.

Ending 2007 on a high note

After losing the 2007 Deutsche Bank Championship to Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods was furious and looking for revenge. With two more events to go, he was more focused than ever to get back at his nemesis and everyone else on the Tour. And that he did. He started his streak of domination at the 2007 BMW Championship. Having won the tournament thrice in the past, Woods knew what he needed to do to win at Cog Hill. So he did, beating the field by 2 strokes to grab his first playoff victory.

Tiger continued his wild run in the TOUR Championship. This was also an event he had won in the past during his dominant run in 1999. This time around, the 15-time major winner was more determined than ever. He grabbed the prestigious title with an 8-stroke victory against the field and became the FedEx Cup champion of the season. Along the way, Woods also managed to score a record-breaking 28 in the front nine during a round. At that point, it was just him showing off.

2009 BMW Championship masterclass

In 2008, Tiger Woods couldn’t make enough FedEx Cup points to participate in the playoffs. As shocking as it sounds, it is a fact. So when Mr. T got the opportunity to do so in the 2009 BMW Championship, he grabbed it with both arms. By round three, he already had a 7-stroke lead against Jim Furyk and the field. It was only a question of how far he would dominate going into Championship Sunday. In the end, the big cat won by 8 strokes to absolutely annihilate any threat to the title.

Ultimate battle vs Phil Mickelson in ’09 TOUR Championship

After the unbelievable win in the BMW Championship, Woods probably went into the TOUR Championship feeling like he was unbeatable. However, a very determined Phil Mickelson was waiting for him on the other side, looking for payback from 2007. The two went head-to-head again for most of the tournament. Going into Championship Sunday, Woods led Mickelson by 2 strokes. However, the Jupiter local only managed to score even par in the last 18 holes. His rival? Lefty managed 5-under to finish with a 3-stroke deficit in the end. The two ended their intense battle at 1st and 2nd place with 3 strokes between them, and Phil Mickelson holding the TOUR Championship trophy this time around.

The unexpected 2017-18 comeback

Before the TOUR Championship 2018, Tiger Woods had not won a single tournament all season. Despite that, he still had some outstanding finishes over the 54 weeks prior. Woods had 7 top-10s, including a runner-up in the PGA Championship a month before his trip to East Lake. So when he did go to the last tournament of the season, he was on a good run, but wasn’t the outright favorite to win the tournament. What transpired over the four days of the event changed everything people thought about the 15-time major winner over the past 5 years.

Tiger displayed some of his finest strokeplay in recent times. No one could believe this was the same guy who had been suffering from a winless drought since 2013. In the end, Woods beat Billy Horschel & Co. by 2 strokes to capture the TOUR Championship for the third time in his career. He stood tall on the top of the mountain. Perhaps this was the start of his journey that led to his miraculous 5th Masters Tournament win a few months later.