In the week Tiger Woods makes his return to competitive golf, we look back on when he staged a stunning final-round comeback to win his first regular DP World Tour title at the Johnnie Walker Classic in Thailand in 1998.
The DP World Tour returns to the South East Asia nation this week for the first time since 2016 for the Thailand Classic, 25 years on from one of Woods’ earliest wins as a professional.
The American arrived at the Johnnie Walker Classic, the season-opening event of 1998, as the world’s top-ranked golfer having won his maiden Major Championship a year earlier in record-breaking fashion at the Masters Tournament at Augusta National.
Woods opened the week at Blue Canyon Country Club with a level-par 72 before consecutive rounds of 71 saw him head into the final round eight shots adrift of defending champion Ernie Els.
But he posted a closing seven under 65 to hold the clubhouse lead at nine under, before he faced a two-hour wait as the late starters battled to better that mark in the tropical heat of Phuket.
Els was struggling for the second day running to match the heights of his performance over the first two rounds and required a birdie at the last to force a play-off.
The Major Championship-winning duo returned to play the 18th twice, with Woods sealing victory with a 14-foot birdie putt at the second extra hole.
After holing the decisive putt, Woods celebrated the victory greenside with his mother, Kutilda, a native of Thailand.
"I've never done anything like that as a professional," said Woods of his comeback. "It was pretty amazing."
Two years later, Woods returned to Thailand to reclaim the Johnnie Walker Classic title for a second time with a three-shot victory at Alpine Golf & Sports Club.
Watch the video above to relive Woods’ triumph at the Johnnie Walker Classic in 1998…
