Been a difficult year for Tiger Woods on and off the course | Golf Today | Golf Channel

Been a difficult year for Tiger Woods on and off the course | Golf Today | Golf Channel

How about Tiger Woods Rex the player? We you have sat in a lot of these press conferences over the past decade. There was the anything after this is gravy comment. There are some where he launched a comeback after back surgery and played well to get everyone uh sort of whipped into a a frenzy heading in to the following season. It has been a difficult year both on and off the golf course for Tiger. Blew out his Achilles. He lost his mother, underwent, I believe, a seventh back surgery just six weeks ago, a disc replacement surgery to go on to uh to be combined with more than a dozen other medical procedures at this point, including his ankle and his back. What did he say physically and what do you think it means for his competitive future in 2026 and beyond? You and I have asked Tiger Woods enough questions that, you know, he hates answering questions about his schedule. Even when we knew his schedule back in his heyday, that, okay, he’s going to play the players before the Masters. From there, he’s probably going to play Memorial. He’s going to get ready for the US Open. Even when we knew what the schedule was going to be, he would always give you a jab, like, oh, I’m going to Harbortown to try to Monday qualify for the Heritage. There was always something sort of on the edges that he didn’t like about it. So, I I did point out he turns 50 later this month in December, and there’s a lot of talk about PGA Tour Champions. And I was actually a little shocked that he gave me a funny as his reply. He wasn’t aggravated like he normally was. It was like, I’m going to play 25 events on both schedules, PJ Tour, and PGA Champions. That should get me through the year. Clearly not. Uh that’s not going to be the case. Now, I agree with what you said, Unoff today, that that is probably the most pessimistic I’ve heard when he’s talked about his competitive futures going forward. And that probably gravy. The the the gravy comment was was certainly pessimistic. That was that was downright dire. That was bleak. Yes. And I think it has a lot to do with you pointed out physically. This has been for a guy that’s had some bad physical years. This would have been particularly tough for him having two separate surgeries on two separate parts of his body. He wasn’t moving very well coming in or out of the media center for whatever that means. Probably the most telling to me is didn’t even play with the idea of playing PNC. That’s a golf cart. That’s 36 holes. That’s your son hitting half the shots. You can just chip and putt. Apparently, he just started chipping and putt putting this week when I asked him about sort of where he is in his game. He has clearly moved to the next phase of his life. The idea that he might play the PGA Tour Champions is a is a conversation we’re going to continue to have. I was a little surprised at RS Wing Classic that I talked to some sources who seem to think that the RS the PGA Tour Champions is preparing for him to play six or seven events possibly, which to me is I wouldn’t imagine he’s going to play six or seven events anywhere in the world, let alone just on one tour. So, that surprised me. And I think some things could change if he does turn some sort of corner. Again, by and large on the senior tour, we’re talking about 54 holes. He can ride in a golf cart. He’s hanging out with his friends. It’s a much different idea. From a competitive standpoint, however, he has clearly moved on to this next phase of his life. It’s being a father to his son and daughter. It’s being sort of the outspoken, as you pointed out, the face and the voice of what the PGA Tour is going to do next. Even more so than Brian Rolap. is being a potential Ryder Cup captain. Does that PG of America ever gets around to actually asking him? Did they number like what’s happening? Did Did they forget? Did someone not put it in Outlook as as a reminder that on December 1st that we should probably contact Tiger Woods about 2027? Yep. Got it right here. Sorry. I didn’t accept it. That was the problem. I didn’t hit accept on the invite. I don’t know what I was thinking. He’s just moved on and he’s embracing, you can tell like he’s put a lot of work into FCC, that’s his word, for the future competitions committee. He’s very involved with the PGA Tour. He’s going to become a captain soon. I think he’s gotten to the point where yes, if somehow his body can cooperate over the next few months that maybe he would consider, but it was obvious right now that’s not on his radar. Yeah, he certainly seems like he just wants to play golf at this point. 2025 has has been a lost year competitively to the point where he’s not even, you know, playing recreationally with his son. And at this point on the doorstep of of turning 50 years old, uh that had to have been a little bit of a wakeup call. You know, technically he says, you know, the rehab is going slower than he wants. Physically, he says that he’s far away. You mentioned no PNC. Uh just he said it wouldn’t even be fair to the competition. Would be fair to his son. Charlie would have to shoulder the burden of of playing basically by himself, but also to another team that wants to get in there. What is a great parent child event? He does not yet know at this point about the Genesis Invitational, another tournament that he hosts. That’d be in midFebruary. That certainly seems pretty ambitious at this point. Rex, they didn’t even know about late season TGL events. You know, you and I have friends in the TGL community. That had to send a shiver down their spine as well that he wouldn’t potentially be suiting up for the Jupiter Links uh in early March for those events. Doesn’t know yet what it means for the PJ tour champion schedule. You and I have kicked around the idea of, you know, his affinity for an appreciation for USJ events, maybe the US Senior Open. you know, his affinity, his respect and appreciation, his friendship with Jim Furick. You and I were there at the Constellation Furick and Friends just a couple weeks ago. They had some optimism that maybe Tiger Woods would play there. He has a relationship with Inspir. Uh that was on uh his polo. You could maybe see it there. At that point, it it’s it’s really up in the air at this point. We sit here early December, he is just chipping and putting. That is a long way from ramping up competitively of you know posting 180 mile ball speed playing four consecutive rounds plus practice rounds leading up to a tournament. The rest and recovery afterward to me a a more realistic target is Augusta. I’m not even sure at that point at this point after disc replacement surgery if if he can get there. It did not sound It It did not sound all that encouraging, Rexy. He could get there at this point. It’s just It’s just It’s just slow. It’s just slow and painful. Look, as much as I love the romantic idea of Tiger Woods catching lightning in a bottle at Augusta National again, and we all do. We were there last time around. We know how special that could be. The idea of him showing up and walking 72 holes on that golf course when it seems like you’re guaranteed one bad, cold, just brutally difficult day that’s just going to take such a toll on his body. I’m not even quite sure that I can even look forward to that. Yeah, I mean, he has continued to make the cut there. Uh he was last among those uh who who made the cut in 2024. It just seems to be going in negative direction. You hope that we can see him at Augusta. It’s such a special week, but at this point, TBD Tiger Woods physically not quite there.

Rex Hoggard and Ryan Lavner recap Tiger Woods’ press conference at the Hero World Challenge and discuss what it means for his competitive future in 2026 and beyond. #GolfChannel #GolfToday #TigerWoods
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Been a difficult year for Tiger Woods on and off the course | Golf Today | Golf Channel
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