4 questions Tiger answered with career win No. 82

There were plenty of questions for Tiger Woods to answer after he won his 15th major at the Masters and then proceeded to struggle for the remainder of the year.

Woods provided answers with his convincing victory over a stacked field at the Zozo Championship this past weekend to tie Sam Snead for the most all-time PGA Tour wins (82).

Here's what we learned from his triumph in Japan.

Will Woods pick himself for the Presidents Cup?

100% yes.

This was a key talking point before the United States captain flew to Japan for the skins game and Zozo Championship. There were questions about Tiger's health and form, and neither looked promising with the Presidents Cup just over a month away.

But Woods erased all doubt with a record-tying performance to lock-in his designation as playing captain. A month ago - hell, a week ago - selecting himself would have raised eyebrows. Now it's a no-brainer.

Gary Woodland, a Presidents Cup hopeful who had a front-row seat to Tiger's brilliance over two rounds in Japan, summed it up perfectly.

Tiger will name himself and three other captain's picks during the week of Nov. 4.

Is Tiger the world's best when healthy?

Bold? Maybe. Accurate? You bet.

Tiger has recorded three wins, including a major, over his last 14 starts - a successful stretch only Rory McIlroy has matched.

The argument against Tiger being the world's best is that he wasn't healthy all of last season. He delayed knee surgery after winning the 2018 Tour Championship and overexerted himself while earning a fifth green jacket. Poor results came as his body broke down throughout the summer.

Following his fifth left-knee surgery, Woods looked spry and swung the club like a 20-year-old during the Zozo Championship. His ball-striking was pinpoint despite spending nine weeks away from golf.

Not sold on the field he faced in Japan? Tiger earned 64 world-ranking points for his victory, the same amount a player gets for winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational or the Genesis Open. He also finished first in three of the top-15 toughest tournaments to win over the last 13 months.

Tiger has to be the first name mentioned during a discussion about the best player in the world right now.

Is Jack's record within reach?

The ongoing debate about whether Woods will match Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 major championship titles was dead for years. It reemerged after Woods picked up No. 15 at the 2019 Masters, but the discussion fizzled again when he struggled to the finish line this past season while battling a variety of ailments.

Now it's back!

It's tough for someone who's turning 44 in December to win three majors. But Tiger has shown repeatedly that we should never rule him out. He's won three times in the past 13 months, tying for the most victories over that stretch with McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, and Bryson DeChambeau.

Yes, the lows for Woods are uglier than every other player ranked inside the top 10. However, if Tiger peaks at the right time over the next three-to-four years, he'll give himself a shot to match Nicklaus.

Does the Tiger effect still exist?

For years, Woods dominated tournaments simply by intimidating his peers. He's won an astounding 44 of 46 tournaments when heading into the final round with the lead, an effect that was clear over the weekend in Japan.

There was no hope for his playing partners during the final two rounds of the Zozo Championship. Woodland shared the lead with Woods after Round 1 and shot 68 and 70 with only six birdies over the weekend. Keegan Bradley didn't fare better, shooting 71 and 69 to drop well out of contention.

Remember during the final round of the Masters when Tiger's groupmates Francesco Molinari and Tony Finau shot 74 and 72, respectively, while crumbling? When Tiger is in the hunt, the field tends to collapse under the pressure.