Will Tiger Woods take on the PGA Tour Champions? This is what his colleagues think

There’s at least one milestone Tiger Woods hasn’t reached yet: turning 50. But that’s going to change. On December 30, Woods will celebrate the half-century milestone, an occasion we’re honoring here at GOLF.com through nine days of Tiger coverage, which will not only pay tribute to his staggering career achievements, but also look ahead to what could come next for a transformational player whose impact on the game can’t be measured solely by wins, earnings or even major titles. In our second “Tiger @ 50” entry (below), Jessica Marksbury explores the possibility of Tiger playing on the senior circuit.

ICYMI: How Much Is Tiger Woods Actually Worth Playing Golf? We have investigated it

***

For those of us for whom Tiger Woods has been a ubiquitous presence in the world of competitive golf, the idea of ​​GOAT turning 50 is somewhat surreal.

As an older millennial born in the mid-1980s, in my experience of professional golf I have always seen Woods as the star frontman. He earned his three-time U.S. Amateur championship when I was in elementary school, and claimed his first Masters title when I was in high school. I saw him fight Rocco Mediate at Torrey Pines during my first year as a full-time GOLF employee, and I was on site at Augusta National when he won his 15th major title at the Masters in 2019. I simply can’t remember a time when he wasn’t in the game.

Woods’ milestone 50th birthday this month highlights the sobering reality that, like Woods, I too am getting older. In Woods’ prime, it was easy to believe that we would have the opportunity to watch him play for as long as he wanted. But as time has passed and Woods has missed collective years of tournament opportunities due to surgeries and rehab time, the harsh reality is that age and wear and tear, and the physically demanding nature of running 72 holes of competitive golf, mean that Woods may have very few starts left on the PGA Tour.

But! That’s exactly why the PGA Tour Champions are such an attractive option for both Woods and his legion of fans. Because on December 30, Woods will turn 50 and will be eligible for the senior circuit, giving him the opportunity to compete against former opponents such as Ernie Els and Vijay Singh. And at most tournaments, Woods played only 54 holes and had the option of using a golf cart, which could be a huge boon for his reconstructed body.

The question on everyone’s mind is: Will Woods choose to compete? Over the course of his career, he has tended to keep his competitive plans close to the vest, often committing to tournaments until the eleventh hour. The PGA Tour Champions, with its much smaller infrastructure, would struggle to accommodate the influx of fans that would surely come with a last-minute tournament commitment from Woods, although PGA Tour Champions commissioner Miller Brady has said the tour is “well prepared” for the possibility of a Woods appearance.

“As a friend of Tiger’s, I would love to see him come out and play and compete with us,” said Darren Clarke. “I think he’ll have a great time. I hope he chooses to come and play and I think, obviously, he would be a huge asset to the Champions Tour. He would bring a lot of eyes and people out to see us have a bit of fun.”

“I hope he’s healthy enough to play anywhere because it helps our game if he plays,” Jerry Kelly added. “I still want to see him, and selfishly I would like to see him play in the same group as me.

“It’s competitive here, and that fits exactly with what he wants to do,” he continued. “He still wants to be competitive. I know he wants to be competitive on the regular tour, but I think if he came out he would realize he would get the same feelings.” [here].”

Stewart Cink, who won three PGA Tour Champions titles this year, including the season-long Charles Schwab Cup, emphasized the value of the senior tour’s competitive environment.

“[Woods] has already earned his inheritance. He’s not going to come here and recreate a new legacy,” Cink said. “But I think he could bring it down to its purest form, which is just competition, and testing himself. It would be a good way for him to test his body and see how it goes, preparing for some of his other tournaments, majors and the like. It would be huge.”

As PGA Tour Champions Player Director, Steve Flesch has an insider perspective on what Woods’ presence on the senior tour would mean.

“Any meet we feel like, hopefully he plays,” he said. “Nobody knows. I think we all agree that if he played, he might play five [tournaments]. He’s certainly not going to play fifteen, but if we can get ten out of him, that would be fantastic. But no one knows.

“I mean, we all hope he does. But we also hope that if he decides to play, he more than just lets the tournament directors know the Friday night before the tournament. My guess is he’ll play the majors he can. But no one really knows.”

The real crux of Woods’ participation on the PGA Tour Champions hinges on the same issue that questions his regular PGA Tour appearances: the health of his body and the progress of his healing.

“I think everyone who plays here also understands that first and foremost he has to be healthy and concentrate on that,” said Thomas Bjorn. “I don’t see him playing a full schedule here. But it will be fun to see him play some, and I think we all enjoy watching him be competitive. And I think that’s a world he would enjoy as well. But let’s see if he can get healthy first.”