Breakdown of Woods' 77 PGA Tour wins shows consistency at courses

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Even before Tiger Woods won the Arnold Palmer Invitational for the eighth time, he was asked on several occasions what it was about Bay Hill that brings him so much success. Finally, he gave an answer that applies to more than just him.

''Once we figure out what courses we like, we tend to play those,'' Woods said.

Brendan Steele finished his round Saturday and was on the range making small talk when he was asked about his schedule the next few weeks, such as the Valero Texas Open.

''Nah, I don't think I'm going to play there,'' Steele said with a slight grin.

The light came on for the reporter who realized that San Antonio is where Steele won for the first time. He laughed.

''I won, I tied for fourth last year,'' he said. ''How could I not play?''

Woods has established a schedule that is easy to predict. It's based on the courses where he does well.

His 77 wins on the PGA Tour have come at 25 tournaments. He has won only eight tournaments just once: the Las Vegas Invitational (1996), Byron Nelson Classic (1997), BellSouth Classic (1998), Pebble Beach National Pro-Am (2000), Canadian Open (2000), Players Championship (2001), Deutsche Bank Championship (2006) and Wells Fargo Championship (2007). The only events he continues to play are The Players, Deutsche Bank and Wells Fargo.

Woods won what is now the Cadillac Championship on six courses (Valderrama, Mount Juliet, Capital City, Harding Park, The Grove, Doral), the Accenture Match Play Championship on two courses (La Costa, Gallery at Dove Mountain), Tournament of Champions on two courses (La Costa, Kapalua) and the Tour Championship on two courses (Champions, East Lake). In the majors, he has won the British Open on two courses (St. Andrews twice, Hoylake) and the PGA Championship on three courses (Medinah twice, Southern Hills, Valhalla).

He has won two tournaments at La Costa (Tournament of Champions, Match Play twice), Torrey Pines (Farmers Insurance Open seven times, U.S. Open), Pebble Beach (National Pro-Am, U.S. Open) and Doral (Ford Open twice, Cadillac twice).

The last time Woods won a tournament the first time seeing the course as a pro – except for majors and WGC events – was the 1998 BellSouth Classic at the TPC Sugarloaf.

Of the 34 golf courses on which he has won on the PGA Tour, only five have been on original TPC designs: Boston, Sawgrass, Sugarloaf, Summerlin, Las Colinas.