Woods "Marching to 83 Wins"... Clash with 'Number 2' McIlroy

McIlroy's New Year Debut at Farmers Insurance Open, Im Sung-jae "Challenging for First Win Again"

Tiger Woods begins his pursuit of a career total of 83 wins at the Farmers Insurance Open.

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "A total of 83 wins."

This is the first goal of the 'Returned Golf Emperor' Tiger Woods (USA) this year. On the night of the 23rd (Korean time), he will start 2020 at the PGA Tour Farmers Insurance Open (total prize money $7.5 million) held at Torrey Pines Golf Course (par 72, 7,765 yards) in San Diego, California, USA. A big match is set from the beginning of the new year as he clashes with world No. 2 Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland). Korea is led by Im Sung-jae (22, CJ Logistics).

▲ Woods: "Sweet memories of Torrey Pines" = He made a perfect comeback by winning the Masters last April. It marked his 15th major victory and restarted his major win clock after 11 years since the 2008 US Open. He closed the gap to Jack Nicklaus (USA)'s record of most major wins (18) by three wins. In October, he tied Sam Snead (USA)'s PGA Tour record for most wins (82) by winning the Zozo Championship.

Winning this tournament would create a new history in the global golf world. Torrey Pines is especially a 'winning stronghold.' He swept up seven wins including a four-year consecutive victory from 2005 to 2008, and in June 2008, after a 91-hole battle at the US Open, he secured his 14th major win. This is why Woods chooses it as his season opener every year. It is interesting as it serves as a stage to gauge the year's performance. His physical condition and form were clearly reflected with a withdrawal in 2015, absence in 2016, and a cut-off in 2017.

In 2018, after a smooth landing with a tie for 23rd place, he achieved two runner-up finishes at the Valspar Championship in March and the PGA Championship in August, and finally won the Tour Championship in September, his first victory in 5 years and 1 month. Last year, he finished tied for 20th but showed strong finishing with 5 under par on the final day. Woods said, "Above all, defending the Masters title this April is important," and revealed his hunter instinct by saying, "I want to win a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in July."

Rory McIlroy will face off against Tiger Woods at the Farmers Insurance Open.

▲ McIlroy: "PO Champ Power" = Last year, he was named 'Player of the Year' with three wins. He hit the jackpot of $15 million (1.74 billion KRW) with dramatic come-from-behind victories at the Players Championship in March, the Canadian Open in June, and the Tour Championship, the final third round of the Playoffs (PO), in August. In November, he gained momentum by winning the World Golf Championships (WGC) HSBC Champions, which is included in the 2020 season.

For McIlroy, this is almost a 'prelude to the Masters.' The Masters is the last puzzle to complete the 'Career Grand Slam.' He collected the US Open in 2011, the PGA Championship in 2012, and The Open Championship in July 2014, but has been burning with anticipation for six years. The holders of the Career Grand Slam, who have won all four different majors, are currently only five: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan (both USA), Gary Player (South Africa), Jack Nicklaus (USA), and Woods.

Defending champion Justin Rose (England) aims for a second consecutive win, while No. 3 Jon Rahm (Spain) dreams of reclaiming the top spot after three years since 2017. Experts point to Jordan Spieth (USA) as a dark horse. Im Sung-jae is expected to perform well, having finished tied for 10th at the American Express that ended on the 20th, showing his sharp shot sense. Byeong-hoon An (29) and Sung-hoon Kang (33, both CJ Logistics), Seung-yeol Noh (29), and 'Tank' K.J. Choi (50, SK Telecom) will also participate together.