Tag: Tiger Woods

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Highlights Tours

Will he play at The 2022 Masters? – Tiger Woods updates on participation

Will Tiger Woods compete at The Masters? (Photo: Getty)
Will Tiger Woods compete at The Masters? (Photo: Getty)

The past few days resembled an exciting thriller: Will Tiger Woods make his comeback at the 2022 Masters, yes or no? Hopes were dashed by a supposed tournament cancellation, only to return much bigger afterwards. Tiger Woods made it really exciting again a few days before the Masters week. Now Tiger Woods came forward on Twitter and declared that he will travel to Augusta.

Decision still to be made

“I will be heading up to Augusta today to continue my preparation and practice,” Tiger Woods wrote on the short message service Twitter on Sunday, but: “It will be a game-time decision on whether I compete.” So it is clear that the five-time Masters winner will indeed try to compete at the 86th Masters. But whether the 46-year-old’s state of health will allow it is the decisive factor.

Tiger tracking for days

More than a year ago, Tiger Woods was involved in a car accident. Since then, no one knew whether he would return to the golf course. A few days before the Masters week, hope sprouted that Tiger could make his comeback at the first Major of 2022. Despite an assumed tournament cancellation, he was still on the list of participating golfers.

Soon, numerous references to his participation in the Masters circulated on the internet. In addition to a recording of Tiger practising on his home course The Medialist under tournament conditions, another discovery made hearts beat faster: Tiger Woods’ private jet flew straight towards Augusta and the 82-time PGA Tour winner played a practice round at Augusta National. Fans now knew: The possibility of Tiger Woods making his comeback after more than a year at the 2022 Masters still exists!

On Sunday before Masters week, an official announcement from the superstar finally followed: Tiger Woods will travel to the 86th Masters and see if a start is possible shortly before the tournament begins. Since the US Masters is an invitation tournament with an elite field, he can afford to wait until the very end before the prestigious Major is played from 7 to 10 April.

Tiger Woods faced career end

Tiger Woods and the events of the tournament had been quiet for the past year. On 23 February 2021, the golf legend suffered serious injuries in a car accident and was in danger of losing his right leg. For months, Woods fought his way back to a life without a wheelchair and crutches. Whether he would ever return to the golf course was unclear. There were first hopes of a comeback in December 2021. Ten months after the devastating accident, Woods teed off together with his son Charlie at the PNC Championship.

However, it remained questionable whether Tiger Woods would ever be able to play a full PGA Tour tournament again. Since then, there has been much speculation about the legend’s comeback. When will it be? Will Woods even be able to return to the PGA Tour? Will his irrepressible ambition bring him back to the golf tournaments of this world?

A few weeks before the first major of 2022, the Masters Tournament in Augusta, disappointing news emerged: Woods ruled out a return at the 2022 Masters. With the decision to become the oldest Masters winner of all time, he would return to the Masters 2023 at the earliest. Shortly before the 2022 Masters, the turnaround followed and Woods decided that he wanted to compete in the world’s most famous golf tournament as early as this year. We will know in a few days whether it really works out.

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Highlights Tours

Comeback at The Masters? – Tiger Woods practices at Augusta National

Will we see Tiger Woods at Augusta National at the 2022 US Masters? (Photo: Getty)
Will we see Tiger Woods at Augusta National at the 2022 US Masters? (Photo: Getty)

With the first Major of the year just ahead, speculation is getting fuelled about a return of Tiger Woods to golf’s biggest stage. Will arguably the greatest golfer of all time, recently inducted into the Hall of Fame, make his comeback after his serious accident around 13 months ago at Augusta National, where he already celebrated his sporting revival in 2019? In any case, the 46-year-old is still listed in the field of players for the prestigious major and now the superstar has already flown to Augusta a week before the start of the tournament.

Tiger Woods: Practice round at Augusta National

On Tuesday morning local time, the private jet of the 15-time major winner landed at the local airport, in the afternoon Tiger Woods played a practice round at the legendary golf club at Magnolia Lane. Together with his fellow Justin Thomas and son Charlie, with whom he already excelled at the PNC Championship last December, Woods played all 18 holes at Augusta National. An insider told ESPN: “He looked good to me.”

Prior to that, the five-time Masters winner had also played a few rounds at his home club, The Medalist in Jupiter, Florida (USA), to test out the resilience of the right leg he had injured so badly. Now it’s time for the ultimate test at Augusta National, which not only demands a lot from the player in terms of golf, but also represents a real test of endurance due to its long paths and hilly courses.

“He’s gonna tee it up”

The fact that he was accompanied by his caddie, Joe LaCava, fuels hopes that Tiger Woods will make a comeback soon. “He’s gonna tee it up, I think,” Colt Knost, a former PGA Tour pro, said on “The Drop Zone” podcast, for example. “I know Joe and Tiger are close, but I don’t see Joe flying down to Florida just to carry his bag and hang out.” Knost also believes Woods would have already cancelled his participation in the first major of the year if he knew he couldn’t play.

Brad Faxon, a pro on the PGA Tour Champions, also has high hopes for Tiger, but thinks a return anytime soon is less likely. “I’m continually amazed by the things Tiger Woods can do. And, if he puts his mind together and feels OK, can he, ranked 944th in the world, come back and play at the Masters and then could he contend? It would be an unbelievable Ben Hogan-like success story.” the American said of the speculation. “My emotion wants him to play,” the 60-year-old explained, but “if I had to bet money I would say it’s probably less than 50/50.”

Participation at the Masters 2022?

Whether Tiger Woods will really make his comeback at the US Masters 2022 at Augusta National remains to be seen. As a former champion, the superstar is obviously seeded in the field and can take his time deciding whether or not to play until the tournament begins. The first Major of the year at Augusta National will be played from 7 to 10 April.

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PGA Tour

Tiger Woods with emotional speech at Hall of Fame induction

Tiger Woods received the World Golf Hall of Fame award from his daughter Sam. (Photo: Getty)
Tiger Woods received the World Golf Hall of Fame award from his daughter Sam. (Photo: Getty)

On Wednesday evening the time had finally come: After a slight delay – the ceremony was postponed due to the Corona pandemic – Tiger Woods was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. His daughter Sam gave the presentation speech at the event at the PGA Tour headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach on the evening before the Players Championship and handed over the trophy to her father, who was honoured for his achievements and credits in golf. Woods himself looked back on his life in an emotional speech.

Laudation by daughter Sam

The introductory speech was given by Woods’ daughter Sam, who looked back on some moments in her life with Tiger Woods. “In 2007, my dad found himself in a position to make an 18-foot putt to force a U.S. Open playoff, which he missed by a foot,” Sam recounted in her speech. “He then had to rush to the airport, fly from Pittsburgh to Orlando, and drive to the Winnie Palmer Hospital. Within five minutes of walking into the hospital room, still wearing his red golf shirt, on June 18, I was born. He may have lost that day, but he won the greatest gift of all.”

The 14-year-old also shared anecdotes from Tiger Woods’ life as a father, recounting holidays, violin concerts and football matches. Above all, however, the work ethic “train hard, fight easy” had determined the life of the now 46-year-old. This was also the case a good year ago, when he had to train “harder than ever”. Sam spoke of the “scariest moments” of her life as not being clear about the superstar’s health. “You’re not only going to be conducted into the Hall of Fame, but you’re standing here on your own two feet,” Sam said, explaining why her father deserved it. “You’re a fighter,” she said, describing the milestones of the 15-time major winner, who became the first black golfer to win a major tournament and won his fifth Masters in 2019 after an incredible comeback.

Tiger Woods with emotional acceptance speech

“I inducted you into the Dads Hall of Fame a long time ago,” Sam finished her speech, “but today I am so proud to present my dad, Tiger Woods, into the World Golf Hall of Fame.” With these words, the daughter, dressed in red, presented the award to her father, who thanked her in an emotional speech. In doing so, the 82-time PGA Tour winner significantly overstayed his seven-minute speaking time, talking about his family, racism and his work ethic in a total of 17 minutes. Woods began his journey through time 40 years ago when golf took hold of him at the tender age of six. He told how he secretly sneaked onto the golf course with his father because he was still too young, how he collected golf balls and earned his first money putting, how he was not allowed into some clubhouses as a black youth and how he only had two questions: “Where is the first tee? What’s the course record?”

At the age of 14, his family was at a crossroads and made a “tough decision.” His parents took out a second mortgage so the 14-year-old Woods could continue playing golf. His mum stayed at home while Tiger travelled with his father Earl to play the AJGA (American Junior Golf Association) Tour. It all wouldn’t have been possible “without the sacrifices from mom and dad,” said an emotionally moved Woods, who was finally able to pay off the mortgage with his first big sponsoring deals. He said his father, who died in 2006, instilled in him the work ethic. “If you don’t go out there and put in the work, if you don’t go out and put in the effort – one, you’re not going to get the results, and two, and more importantly, you don’t deserve it. You need to earn it,” Woods said. “So that defined my upbringing. That defined my career.”

In that career, Tiger Woods has broken countless records and taken golf to a new level. For this, he has now been inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. In addition, Tim Finchem, former commissioner of the PGA Tour, four-time major winner Susie Maxwell Berning and the late golf course developer Marion Hollins were also honoured on the evening for their achievements in golf.

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PGA Tour

Tiger Woods wins the PGA Tour’s Player Impact Program

Can look forward to eight million US dollars: Tiger Woods is ranked first in the PGA Tour's Player Impact Programme. (Photo: Getty)
Can look forward to eight million US dollars: Tiger Woods is ranked first in the PGA Tour's Player Impact Programme. (Photo: Getty)

The top 10 of the Player Impact Programme for 2021 have been announced – and Tiger Woods walks away with eight million US dollars. The superstar leads the ranking just ahead of Phil Mickelson, who had already claimed the title on Twitter, and Rory McIlroy, the PGA Tour announced on Wednesday. The objective bonus programme is designed to reward players who generate positive interest in the PGA Tour, with the top ten players being paid a total of 40 million US dollars.

Tiger Woods: No tournament on the PGA Tour, still winner

The fact that the winner of this ranking is Tiger Woods comes as a surprise only because the 46-year-old was seriously injured in a car accident a year ago and has not played an official tournament since. But the PNC Championship at the end of last year may have been the deciding factor, when Woods came second with his son Charlie, played amazingly good golf again and thrilled the masses – NBC Sports reported 53 percent more viewers than the year before. It is precisely this attention that is rewarded in the Player Impact Programme, which is made up of a total of five categories: Google searches, Meltwater mention (mentions in the global media), MVP Index (reach in social media), Nielson Score (visibility during TV broadcasts of the PGA Tour on tournament weekends) and the Q-Score, which indicates the general level of awareness.

Player Impact Progamm Preisgeld
1. Tiger Woods 8 Mio. US-Dollar
2. Phil Mickelson 6 Mio. US-Dollar
3. Rory McIlroy 3,5 Mio. US-Dollar
4. Jordan Spieth 3,5 Mio. US-Dollar
5. Bryson DeChambeau 3,5 Mio. US-Dollar
6. Justin Thomas 3,5 Mio. US-Dollar
7. Dustin Johnson 3 Mio. US-Dollar
8. Brooks Koepka 3 Mio. US-Dollar
9. Jon Rahm 3 Mio. US-Dollar
10. Bubba Watson 3 Mio. US-Dollar

Looking at the more detailed breakdown of the individual scores, it is noticeable that the 15-time major winner leads the Google Searches, Meltwater Mention and Q-Score categories (and thus 3 out of 5 categories). This is not surprising, as Woods is the poster boy of golf and has repeatedly been a topic in the media, especially due to his serious accident. The record PGA Tour winner was “only” 43rd in the Nielsen score, which is quite remarkable in view of the fact that he only played one tournament.

Koepka and DeChambeau cash in

In this category, ” broadcast time”, Bryson DeChambeau is the leader, the 28-year-old also lands in third place in Meltwater mentions. So the “Brooks-Bryson-feud” seems to have paid off for the “Mad Scientist” and Brooks Koepka, as both stars land in the top 1o of the ranking and get a few extra bucks.

Surprisingly, Bubba Watson also made it into the top ten of the PIP. The 43-year-old wins the MVP Index category, i.e. has the greatest reach in social media, and does really well in Q-Score as third, compensating for the weaker categories. (The top 9 in each of the categories Google Searches and Meltwater Mention also occupy the first nine ranks in the PIP.) Collin Morikawa has already won quite a lot at the age of 24, but narrowly misses the top 10 in this ranking in eleventh place.

Player Impact Program: Payout tied to conditions

However, the stars of the PGA Tour only receive the money under two conditions: First, they have to participate in a “sponsor’s function”, such as an interview, Q&A session, dinner or similar, and second, they have to play an agreed tournament on the PGA Tour in order to collect the money. According to these regulations, the winner of the Player Impact Programme, Tiger Woods, only gets the money if he competes in a PGA Tour tournament that he has not played in the last four years. It is not known whether there is an exception for the superstar because of his special circumstances. For the coming year, the prize money pool has been increased by another ten million, so there will be a total of 50 million US dollars for the idols of golf.

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Live Panorama

Tiger Woods confirms that he will be back

Tiger Woods talks about potential comeback (foto: Getty)
Tiger Woods talks about potential comeback (foto: Getty)

Just over a year ago, Tiger Woods was involved in a devastating accident and nearly lost his life. The coming months were an up and down ride on his way back to a normal life. This week the Genesis Invitational is taking place at Riviera Country Club, Tiger Woods is also part of the tournament. He is unfortunately not yet fit enough to play himself, but will be at the tournament this week as Tournament Host. In a press conference on Wednesday of the tournament week, the 46-year-old commented on his health, how things will continue for him in professional sports and what he thinks about Mickelson’s accusations against the tour.

When will Tiger Woods make his comeback?

“Will I be back? Yes. Am I coming back and play a full tournament schedule? No,” he asked, answering. “That’s never going to happen again. I can play a few events here and there, but at a full-time level, no, that’s never going to happen again.” Tiger Woods’ press conference before the start of this year’s Genesis Invitational on the PGA Tour is sobering for his fans.

Many of the day’s questions revolved around his rehabilitation back to the Tour and how his fitness and golf game are faring. For him, and certainly for his supporters, the process is slow, perhaps too slow to have high hopes for a comeback anytime soon. When asked how his health and his game on the tour are doing, and if he is making much progress, he admitted: “Short game, yes, I can do that. As for the long game, no, that’s not going so well yet, because that means more strain, more rotation of the leg,” he said. “I still have a long way to go. My leg wasn’t in a good position about a year ago, and I had to go through a lot of different surgeries and scenarios.”

“Will I have sore muscles? Yes, but I can handle it.”

The possible comeback to professional golf seems a very long way off. A reporter asked him if he could imagine, or if it would even be physically possible, to play in the par-3 contest before the Masters and if a comeback was possible via that route. Woods clarified: “I’m talking about playing golf. By that I mean practice rounds plus a pro-am day, or if it’s a major, it’s even more,” he explained. “It’s the competitive nature of it that takes a toll on you mentally, physically and emotionally. I didn’t prepare for any of that. Going for a walk and playing a par-3 contest, I can handle that. Will I have sore muscles? Yes, but I can handle it.”

While this statement does not rule out possible participation, the answers Tiger has at the ready show one thing very clearly: golf like it used to be is still a very long way off for him, perhaps even completely impossible. His focus 12 months after the accident is still on the basics: “I’m still working on running. My foot was a little banged up about a year ago, so running is something I’m still working on, strength and development in that area. That takes time.”

Tiger Woods optimistic about players’ media rights

Tiger Woods, despite these adverse circumstances in his life, is grateful for what he still has after that fatal day. However, you can clearly see the frustration and strain on him. “The fact that I still have my right leg is great,” said Woods, who turned 46 in December. “I still have a lot of problems with it, but it’s mine and I’m very grateful for that. What’s frustrating is that it’s not on my schedule. I want to be at a certain point, but I’m not. To keep working, and getting better, yes, but not at the speed and pace I would like. You also have to consider the age factor. The healing process is not as fast anymore, which is frustrating.”

On the sidelines of his health issue, the conversation also briefly turned to Phil Mickelson’s statements and how Tiger Woods felt about them. The former world No. 1 was cautious in his comments on the subject. He is of the opinion that the media rights are a topic for Jay Monahan – Tour Commissioner of the PGA Tour. However, he said he was convinced that good talks were being held between the players and the tour and hoped that an agreement would be reached soon between the individual parties.

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PGA Tour

Tiger Woods makes comeback at PNC Championship

Just under ten months after being seriously injured in a car accident, Tiger Woods has confirmed his participation in the PGA Tour’s upcoming family tournament, the PNC Championship. Tiger will play in with his son Charlie. At the time, the 45-year-old Woods suffered serious leg injuries and his comeback to the Tour was far from becoming a reality.

PNC Championship kept Woods’ tournament place free

In mid-November, Tiger Woods reported back via Instagram with a swing video and wrote that he was “making progress“.  More and more swing videos came after that and, in mid-November, the news suprised the fans once again for good. Tiger Woods and his son Charlie would count with a spot in the limited tournament field of the PNC Championship. As host of the Hero World Challenge, the 15-time major winner also showed up on the driving range several times. Contrary to the previous videos, the social media witnessed Tiger hitting his driver. That is for sure one way to know that the grind continues. 

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Una publicación compartida de Golf Digest (@golfdigest)

During an interview, he confirmed that he plans to return to professional golf, but ruled out a full-time comeback on the PGA Tour. “I think it’s realistic to play on the Tour one day. Never full-time again, but just selectively, like Mr [Ben] Hogan did. You pick a few events a year and play around them.” Tiger explained. It was an “unfortunate reality” but one that he understood and accepted.

Tiger concludes a challenging year

After a long healing process, Woods finally decided to make his comeback to the golf stage at the PNC Championship, a family tournament in Florida. The 45-year-old shared his decision on Twitter. Woods said that although it has been a “challenging year” for him, he is “excited to end it by playing in the PNC Championship.” Also, he added that he will be playing the tournament as a “Dad and he couldn’t be more excited and proud.” His teammate Bryson DeChambeau as well as many other fellow golfers also wanted to show happiness for Tiger’s great news.

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PGA Tour Top Tours

Tiger Woods feels ready to ramp up for a few PGA Tour events in the future

The golf fanatics keep up with the news that relate to what happens on and off the course. Luckly, October and November brought some happiness not only to the golf fans, but to all the sport lovers. Beginning of October, Tiger Woods was first spotted without a walker after his terrible car accident back in February. Woods has one of the greatest reputations as an athlete and people claim to see him back in action on the golf course.

The recovery progress was always upward and recently, Tiger surprised his Instagram followers by showing himself making a full swing with his club for the first time since the accident. Tiger swinging a short iron to its fullest fueled significant hype and speculation on a return. However, reality goes one step ahead and it often doesn’t match the popular desires.

No reason not to prepare for a few events in the future.

GolfDigest had the opportunity to interview with him and ask him about his future golf career. The popular opinion tended to be optimist but not so much. Many thought that the professional career of The Goat was over, but at the same time all wished otherwise. Tiger Woods announced the exclusive that it would be realistic to think that he could return to compete on the PGA Tour, but on a part-time basis.

The 15-time major winner has previously proved his stregnth by overcoming several back and knee injuries before. Woods stood back up every time after falling, and the American star will not give up now. However, Woods just confirmed that he is taking his foot off the gas in the future and will not attempt to play golf full time ever again.

How Tiger Woods faces the next phases

Practicing correctly is key after the accident. Tiger Woods sees the light at the end of the tunnel, he has come off surgeries before and why not returning to the field once again: “I’ve come off long layoffs and I’ve won or I’ve come close to winning before. I just gotta get to a point where I feel comfortable enough where I can do that again.” – Tiger states in the PGA Press Conference.

The professional golfer knows that there is still a long way ahead to reach full recover. Nevertheless, Woods feels happy to see his unstoppable progress. Although, his physical shape has exponentially improved, he might not be tournament sharp in the sense of he hadn’t played tournaments, but a right practice plan could drive him back to the part-time competition.

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PGA Tour

Tiger Woods swings a club for the first time after the accident – The GOAT is back at it

Tiger Woods shares a video swinging again after the car accident

In early November, Tiger Woods ditched the crutches and popped up walking in LA. Still struggling to walk steadily, Woods took one step after another slowly but shortly. The scenes of the 82-time PGA winner moving without physical assistance already had the crowd cheering. The big news brought a little hope, proving that the legend is not yet finished giving us his magic.

Giving up was never an option.

However, the situation went beyond the unthinkable at this point, when Tiger shared yesterday through his social networks, that he has once again picked up a golf club to do what dazzled all of us golf fans, his swing.The compression sleve remains on to protect from any sudden move, and to provide some more stability. Also, it probably also helps to hide any scars left from the surgical procedures.

Tiger calls for calm and fully swings putting his full weight on both legs. The video shows a short club, not longer than a 8-iron. Woods’s caption is short and to the point: “Making progress.” The rhythm of his swing could trick your mind and make you think that the legend was never off, because it keeps a perfect pace all throughout.
Tiger seems to be in a very good physical shape considering the circumstances, and surely looking forward to bomb his driver off a tee soon.

The power of the attitude.

The official PGA Tour player profile mentions “all sports” as the special interests of Tiger Woods. Clearly, the 15-time Major winner is an athlete by all means. Although this is not the first time Woods had to step aside from the golf field, he always manages it to return stronger.

Justin Thomas trusted the process nearly as much as he trusted his mate moving forward. Thomas had previously said that Tiger would make every possible effort to come back to the course sooner rather than later. Thomas had full confidence that Tiger was not going to give up. The warrior was going to take his recovery one step further than expected.

Spoiler alert: his 14-time PGA Tour winner mate was right… Woods has given us an attitude lesson, and now the golf world cannot wait to see his name back in the leaderboard.

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PGA Tour

Tiger Woods drops the crutches. The GOAT recorded in LA walking with full weight on his right leg.

Tiger Woods says bye to the crutches and the walking support. Woods was seen walking in a hotel in LA few days ago. Although these are great news, his struggle to walk solidly and confidently in their footsteps is noticeable. The protective compression leg sleeve remains in place and he is walking with a limp. The 82-time PGA winner is recovering slowly by shortly.

Back in February 2021, Tiger was involved in a very dramatic car accident that limited him from walking or even moving his right leg. It was only a month ago, in October, when he stepped on a golf course supporting his son Charlie. From then on, he continues to work on being able to perform normally as a dad first, as golf has become secondary.

Tiger Woods in Oct. 9th in Florida watching his son compete at a junior event.(@TWlegion)

It would be silly to think that the professional career of such a legend is over, but clearly there is still a long way ahead until we can see Tiger from behind the ropes teeing up again. His good friend and teammate, Justin Thomas only has positive words about the situation. Thomas is certain that Tiger will go far and beyond trying to get back on the field as soon as possible. The GOAT knows that hard work pays off, and now it is time to work on his full recover.
The show must go on.

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Professionals

Watching his son: Tiger Woods back on the course

Tiger Woods was spotted at a Junior golf Event his son Charlie took part in. (source: Twitter.com/GolfWRX)

Since his serious car accident at the end of February this year, Tiger Woods has made himself scarce. Understandably so, because it is still completely open whether he will ever return to the Tour. The superstar is still concentrating on his recovery and is intensively attending to his rehab. Pictures have hardly been seen of him. Only one post on Instagram shows the 45-year-old on crutches with his dog in April.

Now he has been spotted without a walker for the first time since. He was back on the golf course with his girlfriend Erica Herman as a spectator at his son Charlie’s golf tournament. Admittedly, a serious statement about the state of his recovery cannot be read from the pictures. But there seems to be some progress, otherwise Woods would not be on the road without crutches.

Tiger Woods back on the course