We never really hear from Tiger Woods, just the occasional three-red-triangle announcement on Twitter that breaks the golf world’s heart. Like the one that dropped a little over a month ago, stating Tiger had undergone his seventh back surgery to repair a collapsed disc. All that to say, when he or someone in his inner circle speaks, people listen.
Analyst Notah Begay III, a close friend of the 15-time major champion, joined a recent episode of the “Straight Facts Homie” podcast with Trey Wingo and touched on a lot of different things happening in the golf world, including what the future could look like for Tiger.
Getting his ball around the yard hasn’t been the biggest hurdle for Tiger in recent comebacks; it’s been the walking. Four rounds and practice days are a lot for his body to go through, and that fatigue has affected his game.
According to Begay, Tiger could target easier walks in an effort to offset some of that wear and tear. Where exactly could that be? For starters, the RBC Heritage and Charles Schwab Challenge.
“I think the biggest problem, in the conversations that I’ve had with him, is the walking,” Begay said. “That’s it. He hits it great, he’s in tremendous physical condition. His ball speeds are fast enough, they’re 175-180, which is adequate for the PGA Tour. It’s just can he walk 72 holes plus a pro-am?
“I don’t know, and that’s the big question. A major championship venue with flatter terrain. Hilton Head with flatter terrain, Colonial with flatter terrain might be targets. And those are venues that he’s never typically played at. He’s played Colonial once and never went back. And I don’t think he’s ever been to Hilton Head. Those are two things that you may see at some point.”
Next month, Tiger reaches a significant milestone that will (maybe) affect his schedule, too. He turns 50 on December 30, meaning he’ll be eligible to play on the PGA TOUR Champions. Potentially back with all the guys he used to beat up on when he was just a kid. Could we see him take a swing at the senior circuit? Begay thinks so.
“We’re also dying to see him on the Champions Tour. He can take a cart and the walking becomes alleviated at that point. I think he’s going to try it,” Begay said. “You can only sit in your house and think about golf and hit balls at the range for so long. You wanna go out and see if you can beat somebody. I do think he will try it and I hope he likes it. The world of golf with Tiger is just so much better and so much more fun even if we see glimpses from time to time.”
And I think that’s the perfect word to use to describe what fans should expect from Tiger moving forward: glimpses. He’s never going to play anything resembling a full schedule again, so when he does comes around, we have to cherish it.
There’s been no update on when Tiger will return to golf after his surgery. The PNC Championship is next month, but Team Woods hasn’t been part of the event’s roll out. And just because everyone reading this is thinking the same thing, the Masters is 141 days away.
