Will Tiger Woods Make It On The PGA Tour Champions?

There is at least one milestone Tiger Woods has yet to reach: turning 50 years old. But that will change. On Dec. 30, Woods will reach a half-century, an occasion we’re honoring here at GOLF.com with nine days of Tiger coverage that will not only pay tribute to his staggering career accomplishments, but also look forward to what may come next for a transformative player whose impact on the game can’t be measured simply in titles or big wins. In our second Tiger @ 50 entry (below), Jessica Marksbury explores the possibility of Tiger making it to the senior circuit.

ICYMI: How much is Tiger Woods really worth in golf? We investigated

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

As an older millennial born in the mid-eighties, my professional golf experience has always included Woods as the star driver. He made it to three US Amateur Championships when I was in elementary school and won his first Masters title when I was in high school. I watched him battle Rocco Mediate at Torrey Pines during my first year as a full-time GOLF employee, and I was on hand at Augusta National when he won his 15th Masters title in 2019. I just can’t remember a time when the game didn’t include him.

Woods’ 50th birthday this month highlights the stark reality that, like Woods, I’m getting old. In Woods’ prime, it was easy to believe that we would get to watch him play for as long as he wanted to play. But as time has passed and Woods has lost collective years of tour opportunities due to surgeries and rehab time, the harsh reality is that age and wear and tear, and the physically demanding nature of going 72 holes of competitive golf, means Woods may have precious few starts left on the PGA Tour.

But! That’s exactly why the PGA Champions Tour is such an attractive option for both Woods and his legion of fans. Because on December 30, Woods will turn 50 and become eligible for the Seniors event, giving him the opportunity to compete against former adversaries such as Ernie Els and Vijay Singh. And in most tournaments, Woods would only play 54 holes and have the option of using a golf cart, which could be a big help to his rebuilt body.

The question on everyone’s mind is: Will Woods choose to compete? During his career, he has tended to keep his competitive plans close to the vest, often committing to tournaments at the 11th hour. The PGA Tour Champions, with its much smaller infrastructure, would be hard-pressed to handle the influx of fans that would surely accompany a last-minute tour commitment from Woods, although PGA Tour Champions commissioner Miller Brady has said the tournament is “well prepared” for the possibility of Woods’ appearance.

What do some of Woods’ fellow Tour champions think about the prospect of him making it in 2026? I asked some of them for their thoughts on the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in November.

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

“Hopefully he’ll be healthy enough to be able to play anywhere because it benefits our game when he plays,” added Jerry Kelly. “I still want to watch him, and selfishly, I’d like to watch him in the same group as me playing.

“It’s competitive here and it would go towards what he wants to do,” he continued. “He still wants to be competitive. I know he wants to be competitive in the regular season, but I think if he came out, he would realize he would have the same feelings (here).

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

“(Woods) has already made his legacy. He’s not going to come out here and, like, recreate a new legacy,” Cink said. “But I think he’ll be able to pull it off in his purest form, and that’s just competition, and testing himself. It would be a good way for him to test his body and see how things are going, getting ready for some of his other tournaments, majors and non-majors. It would be huge.”

As the PGA Tour’s director of players, Steve Flesch has an insider’s view of what Woods’ presence on the senior tour means.

“Every match we’re like, we hope he plays,” he said. “Nobody knows. I think we’re all in consensus that if he was going to play, he’d probably play five (tournaments). He’s certainly not going to play 15, but if we could get 10 out of him, that would be fantastic. But nobody knows.

“I mean, we all hope he plays. But we also hope that if he decides to play, he’ll let the tournament officials know more than he likes on the Friday night before the tournament. My guess is he’ll play the majors he can. But nobody really knows.”

The real crux of Woods’ participation in the PGA Tour Champions hinges on the same issue that puts a question mark on his regular competitive PGA Tour appearances: the state of his body’s health and the progress of his recovery.

“I think everyone who plays here also understands that, first of all, he has to be healthy and focus on that,” Thomas Bjorn said. “I can’t see him playing a full schedule here. But it’ll be good to see him play some, and I think we all enjoy watching him compete. And I think that’s a world he would enjoy, too. But let’s see if he can get healthy first.”