Where is the GOAT headed next? PGA Tour? PGA Tour Champions? Majors and Senior Majors? Many questions and it’s complicated.
Quo vadis, Tiger? This question has been asked every year since 2009 when his off-course issues surfaced. In 2014, after a promising return to form in the previous year, his ailing back sidelined him. In 2019, with his triumphant fifth Masters and 15th major, he proved the doubters wrong who thought, ‘They Never Come Back.’ He reminded us that the GOAT should never be written off.
Most notably since the fateful February 23, 2021, car accident in California, which he miraculously survived but nearly cost him his right lower leg and foot, derailing his sporting career as drastically as the SUV crash behind the wheel. Sleep deprivation might have been a factor.
Quo vadis, Tiger: Eligibility for PGA Tour Champions at 50?
Eldrick Tont Woods is now 50 years old, born December 30, 1975, at 10:30 PM in Long Beach, California. It remains an ominous question: Quo vadis, Tiger? The key fact is that the 82-time tour winner is now eligible to play on the PGA Tour Champions, where he can ride in a cart without special permission. Sounds simple, but it is more complex.
Despite excitement about his potential participation boosting television ratings and sponsorships, the senior circuit faces challenges. The PGA Tour Champions’ pension fund was reduced by $2 million unexpectedly, the tour has no TV partner, and must pay $800,000 per event for TV broadcasts. The tour is now run by sober, no-nonsense ex-American football executive Brian Rolapp, driven by hard commercial interests of PGA Tour Enterprises investors.
Ready for Tiger, but complications remain
Miller Brady, president of PGA Tour Champions, has assured that preparations for Tiger’s participation are in place, from security to logistics. However, complications abound, including the need for advance notice before tournaments and uncertainties about Woods’ physical condition and commitments.
The PGA Tour in Ponte Vedra Beach also hopes Woods recovers well. While his drawing power is undeniable, they may be reluctant to see his attention shift fully to the Champions Tour, as they want to preserve media focus on regular PGA Tour events.
Endorsements and scheduling dilemmas
Woods recently became a brand ambassador for Insperity, sponsor of the Insperity Invitational on the PGA Tour Champions in Texas, held simultaneously with the highly endowed Truist Championship on the PGA Tour in North Carolina. A Woods appearance could draw massive media attention and viewers, potentially overshadowing concurrent events.
Concerns about overlapping schedules also extend to LIV Golf, as nine of eleven LIV events coincide with PGA Tour Champions tournaments, creating a complex landscape for Woods’ playing decisions.
Focus on Senior Majors and physical challenges
Woods is likely targeting senior majors such as the US Senior Open. Victory would see him become the only golfer to win all US top championships: Junior, Amateur, Open