WAs Tiger Woods continues a patience-testing rehabilitation process in the wake of the intervertebral disc surgery he underwent in October, he is in charge of reshaping the future of the PGA Tour.
While there is uncertainty about when Woods will be healthy enough to resume his playing career — that won’t be anytime soon — he made it clear during his Hero World Challenge news conference on Tuesday that the rumored change in the tour’s structure could happen as soon as 2027.
As he approaches his 50th birthday on December 30, Woods is deeply involved in the touring world as chairman of the nine-member Future Competition Committee, which is doing the practical work of following the lead of new CEO Brian Rolapp, who envisions a streamlined version of the PGA Tour.
“We’re trying to do that in the best way possible so we can introduce this in ’27,” Woods said Tuesday morning in Albany, the Bahamas, the site of the unofficial tournament he’s hosting for 20 leading PGA Tour players.
“Hopefully we’ll get there, hopefully we’ll get to that point. We’re working with all our partners to create the best schedule and product [and] to achieve all that in ’27, that’s what we’re trying to do. I don’t know if we can get there, I don’t know if we will get there, but that’s what we’re trying to do.”
Woods did not provide details on what a new tour model might look like, although Rolapp has used the word “scarcity” as a guiding principle, suggesting the tour schedule is bloated and would benefit from being condensed, increasing the value of each event and potentially limiting playing opportunities.
Rolapp recently said he can envision a PGA Tour schedule starting around the time of the Super Bowl, which would effectively eliminate January tournaments. There has also been talk of moving away from the signature event model to ensure all tournaments have more equal prize money and FedEx Cup points.
It would mean some events could disappear and others would be forced to move to accommodate a seven-month schedule.
“Yes, there will be some eggs that are spilled and crushed – and broken, but I think in the end we will have a product that is much better than what we have now for everyone involved,” Woods said.
“And the scarcity thing is something that I know scares a lot of people, but I think if you have scarcity at some level it will be better because it will attract more eyes because there will be less time.”
There are multiple constituencies at play as the discussions continue. While some sponsors are nearing the end of their contracts – both Sony and Farmers Insurance expire after their 2026 events – others, like Truist, have come on board in the past two years.
While reducing the number of events has the general approval of many top players, the fate of the tour’s supporters remains uncertain, who have already seen the number of tour tickets drop from 125 to 100 this year.
The challenge for the committee, which includes players Patrick Cantlay, Adam Scott, Camilo Villegas, Maverick McNealy and Keith Mitchell, along with company executives Joe Gorder, John Henry and Theo Epstein, is to create a tour schedule that benefits the most people, essentially creating what Woods called “an entirely new product.”
It remains a work in progress.
“We’re trying to give the fans the best product we can, and if we can give the fans the best product we can, I think we can make the players that are right on the tour, we can give them more of that. So the financial windfall could be fantastic for everyone involved,” Woods said.
“So the [future competition committee has] I think we’ve had three different meetings, there’s one coming up here. We broke down and looked at so many different models. It’s been a lot. We’ve talked to title sponsors, we’ve talked to CMOs, we’ve talked to tournament directors, we’ve talked to media partners, we’ve talked to a lot of different people and heard a lot of what they would like to see. Then it’s up to us as a committee to try to sort everything out and try to make it work and keep the players informed of what could potentially happen. And we want their opinion too.”
“I would like to just play golf again. I haven’t played golf in a long time. It’s been a tough year. A lot of things have happened on and off the golf course that have been tough.” – Tiger Forest
As for his playing status, Woods said he will not play in the PNC Championship later this month with his son Charlie or participate in early TGL matches, although he plans to attend those involving his Jupiter Links Golf Club team.
Woods said he was cleared to chip and putt last week and will gradually increase his training and practice regimen as his body allows. He has made just 11 PGA Tour starts in the past five years and after joking that he planned to play 25 events on both the main tour and PGA Tour Champions next year, Woods said it is too early to speculate on when and where he might play.
He has expressed interest in playing in a handful of senior events in the past, but that is on hold while he goes through another long rehabilitation process.
“I’d like to just get back to just playing golf. I haven’t played golf in a long time. It’s been a tough year. There’s been a lot of things that have happened on and off the golf course that have been tough,” Woods said.
“And so my passion to just play, I haven’t done that in a long time. Just play. So I had to be on the sidelines for a number of months, and most of this year and honestly at the end of last year. …
“I’m just looking forward to playing again, let me do that and then I’ll figure out what the schedule is going to be. I’m a long way from that part of it and those kind of decisions, that kind of commitment level.”
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