THIS DAY IN GOLF HISTORY / OCTOBER 31
Four shots clear—and a remarkable season rolling forward
October 31 has crowned season-ending champions, record-setting winners and first-time victors. In 1999, Tiger Woods left Houston with the Tour Championship—and his most dominant stretch was still gathering momentum.
1993
Jim Gallagher Jr. claims the signature victory of his career
Gallagher finished at 7-under 277 at the Olympic Club and won the Tour Championship by one stroke. Five players shared second at 6 under, but Gallagher held them off for his second win of 1993 and fifth PGA Tour title. [PGA Tour media guide]
1999
Tiger Woods wins his first Tour Championship
Woods carried a three-stroke lead into the final round at Champions Golf Club and finished at 15-under 269, four ahead of Davis Love III. The victory made Woods a Tour Championship winner for the first time and extended the late-season run that would carry into the following week in Spain. [PGA Tour media guide]
The tournament came during an emotional week for golf. Friday’s play was canceled so the field could attend Payne Stewart’s memorial service; competitors played 27 holes on Thursday and another 27 on Saturday before Sunday’s scheduled final round.
2004
Vijay Singh completes a nine-win season
Singh closed with a 6-under 65 at Innisbrook to win the Chrysler Championship by five over Tommy Armour III. His 18-under 266 set a tournament record and delivered his ninth PGA Tour victory of 2004, cementing a season in which he became world No. 1 and earned Player of the Year. [PGA Tour media guide]
2010
Na Yeon Choi successfully defends at home
Choi began the final round one behind, shot 69 and won the LPGA Hana Bank Championship in South Korea for the second consecutive year. She finished at 10-under 206, two ahead of Vicky Hurst, for her second victory of the season and fourth LPGA title in two years. [LPGA]
2021
Lucas Herbert breaks through in Bermuda
Herbert handled fierce wind at Port Royal, closed with 69 and finished at 15-under 269. The Australian beat Patrick Reed and Danny Lee by one for his first PGA Tour victory, earning a two-year exemption and his first invitation to the Masters. [PGA Tour]
FROM THE ARCHIVE TO YOUR NEXT ROUND / FOX BANDIT VIEW
Restart the routine, not the whole swing.
Woods won during a tournament with an unusual stop-and-start schedule. Herbert had to solve heavy wind. Choi began Sunday behind and changed the leaderboard without changing who she was.
Golf rarely gives you the rhythm you expected. A delay, a slow group or a bad hole can tempt you to search for a new swing. The better response is usually smaller: reset the target, rehearse the tempo and recommit.
Build a 30-second restart into your next practice. Step away for one full breath, name the target and flight, make one slow rehearsal, then hit. Use it after every poor shot so the next decision—not the last result—controls the swing.
Use the practice checklist ↗