Tiger Woods spoke in public on Tuesday for the first time since being arrested and charged with driving under the influence, but he remained silent on his car crash in March.
Woods, who has returned recently to the United States after undergoing treatment for an addiction to prescription medicines in Switzerland, surprised the media gathered at the Travelers Championship in Connecticut to hear confirmation of the PGA Tour’s radical revamp for 2028.
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There was no word that the 15-time major winner, who has missed the last three majors following the incident in which he overturned his vehicle after clipping a truck and trailer, would be making an appearance at TPC River Highland.
The 50-year-old was also charged with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test after the crash in Florida. He subsequently submitted a written plea of not guilty via his lawyers.
Footage from a police body camera shows Woods being arrested following a car crash on March 27 – AP
Not only was Woods in attendance in Connecticut on Tuesday, but he took his place on the podium and addressed the press, albeit without inviting any questions.
Woods, even in his absence, has been chairing the future competition committee which has formally approved changes which will lead to two separate tiers of competition on the PGA Tour.
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“Over the past eight months, the Future Competition Committee has spent a lot of time on a very important and fundamental question: How do we build the strongest possible version of the PGA Tour?” Woods said.
“This work was never about any one player or person. It was about bringing together different perspectives, having honest, hard conversations and thinking boldly about what is best for the game that we all love.”
After being introduced to the stage by Woods, Brian Rolapp, the PGA Tour chief executive, welcomed the 50-year-old’s presence. “I think I speak for all of us… glad to see you back,” Rolapp said to Woods.
Police body camera footage shows Woods undergoing a sobriety test (above) then being handcuffed and put in a police car (below) after his car crash in March – AP
AP
Later, Rolapp was asked about Woods’s role in the overhaul. “Having Tiger involved was a tremendous asset and a privilege,” he said. “His insight into the game as a player but also being around it his whole life, the respect he has from fans, from his fellow members, from partners, is invaluable. His leadership has been tremendous. We were fortunate to have him.”
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The sweeping restructuring, which will be the end product brought on by the existential threat of the then-Saudi-funded LIV Golf League’s inauguration four years ago, will mean that the world’s leading golfers will play on the tour’s “Championship Series” in tournaments comprising 120-man fields, and including a cut and featuring no sponsor invites.
It will be a campaign of 23 or 24 tournaments with a minimum of $20m (£15.2m) purses that will include the four majors and will run from February to August. The top 90 at the end of the year will preserve their status, with promotion and relegation from and to the “Challenger Series” with prize funds of at least $4m (£3.04m).
Full details have still to be agreed, but the ongoing relationship between the US circuit and the DP World Tour is a key factor in Europe. The tours signed a “strategic alliance” just before the LIV launch and it is up for renewal next year. But Rolapp indicated that by 2028 the DP World Tour will have a role in helping stage international tournaments, including national opens, in the autumn months.
McIlroy backs overhaul
This will assuage Rory McIlroy, who has been canvassing hard for his home Tour in what looks to be a US-centric revamp, as Rolapp concentrates on appeasing TV networks by jamming the main season into the months when the NFL is not active.
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Rolapp revealed that he spoke to the Northern Irishman after his controversial comments at last week’s US Open in which he expressed his fears that historic events such as the Canadian Open would be on the “Challenger Series”, which he called “glorified Korn Ferry events”, in references to the developmental tour. McIlroy also remarked that this would be the fault of the “false economy” created by LIV and suggested it might be better if the tour went back to the way it was before.
Rory McIlroy has had a change of heart about the proposals to revamp the PGA Tour and DP World Tour – Getty Images/Andrew Redington
However, after McIlroy chatted to Rolapp, he felt obliged to backtrack and released his own statement. “Today’s announcement is a positive step for professional golf,” it read. “As more details emerge, it is encouraging to see the PGA Tour reaffirming the importance of meritocracy and creating a structure that will serve both players and fans well into the future. I’ve always been proud to compete around the world, and the collaboration between the PGA Tour and DP World Tour is one founded in the betterment of the game globally.
“The commitment to elevate some of these historic international tournaments and national opens is incredibly important for the game and something I’m very supportive of. Over the last few years, golf has faced a period of uncertainty and division, which has not been in the best interests of the players, or the fans of the game. Today, we are putting the fans first, and I am excited about the future of our sport.”
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There was no mention of a direct route back to the tour for players such as Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau. After the Saudis announced they were withdrawing their funding for LIV at the end of the 2026 campaign, having ploughed in more than $5bn (£3.79bn), the executives have been desperately attempting to secure funding that would allow it to survive from 2027 onwards. However, it is becoming ever more doubtful that LIV will be able to retain Rahm, and the Spaniard, after Tuesday’s news, might decide it is preferable to get back on the PGA Tour as soon as possible.
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