Woods wins eighth player of year award

Tiger Woods won the Jack Nicklaus Trophy as the PGA Tour player of the year for the eighth time in a vote of touring pros. Vote totals were not announced.

Woods won eight PGA Tour events in 2006, including his last six. He earned more than $9.9 million, and among his triumphs were victories at the British Open and PGA Championship, his 11th and 12th major titles. He also won the Byron Nelson Trophy with a 68.11 scoring average.

“That’s always an honor, to get the respect of your peers,” Woods said Tuesday at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, where he will be the host of the 16-player, $5.75-million Target World Challenge that begins Thursday.

Trevor Immelman of South Africa, who won the Cialis Western Open and more than $3.8 million in 2006, was voted the tour’s rookie of the year. Steve Stricker, who had seven top-10 finishes, was selected as the comeback player of the year.

-- Thomas Bonk