Tiger Woods doesn’t owe the sport something.
He may depart all of it behind—particularly given professional golf’s moribund state—and no person would blame him.
And but Woods, who will flip 48 tomorrow, might be able to have some of the impactful years of his profession in 2024. It’s a lofty assertion given every little thing he has achieved nevertheless it may be true.
Whilst he slows down from a aggressive standpoint, his presence within the recreation continues to be vital. PGA Tour motion not revolves round his domination however his voice has by no means been as related.
Listed below are a Few Causes Why Woods May Have a Compelling 2024:
1. Woods has an Outsized Position in Guiding Professional Golf Ahead.
This previous August, Woods joined the PGA Tour coverage board for the primary time, turning into a sixth participant director.
His elevated involvement in guiding the way forward for the tour comes at a vital time.
The tour is in existential disaster mode, negotiating with Saudi Arabia’s Public Funding Fund in an effort to hitch forces. If the negotiation is mishandled or the ensuing partnership doesn’t mend a divided professional golf panorama, a whole lot of the eye Woods generated for the professional recreation over the previous 25 years may erode.
“It might be fairly simple for him to simply conceal below a rock the remainder of his life and be simply tremendous,” mentioned fellow tour participant Justin Thomas. “However that’s not who he’s. He needs to proceed to see the PGA Tour develop and succeed.”
Woods has been a staunch tour supporter from the beginning, reportedly turning down an astronomical supply from LIV Golf.
When he stayed on the tour’s aspect, Woods undoubtedly satisfied lots of the recreation’s high stars to stick with him. Solely three of the highest 25 gamers within the Official World Golf Rating have left for LIV.
If Woods had jumped to LIV, there might not have been any framework settlement or potential partnership as a result of LIV might need taken over because the superior product with the superior assets.
He received’t be appearing alone in deciding the tour’s future however everybody will likely be listening to him. Rory McIlroy just lately stepped again from the coverage board three months after Woods joined. It was a passing of the baton to his shut good friend.
The place he can have a crucial affect is within the construction of the tour. All indicators level to skilled golf needing to turn into extra restricted to top-tier expertise, making certain the sport’s finest play in opposition to one another extra typically. Woods pushed for that in the summertime of 2022 when a gaggle of high gamers had a gathering throughout a FedEx Cup playoff occasion in Delaware.
As a younger professional, Woods helped drive purses up and elevated industrial involvement within the recreation.
Now he has an opportunity to defend the home he helped construct.
2. Tiger Might be Chosen because the Subsequent Ryder Cup Captain.
After the Individuals’ embarrassing loss to the Europeans this fall, assist for a Tiger Woods Ryder Cup captaincy has been deafening.
It was all the time assumed that Phil Mickelson would lead the U.S. into battle at Bethpage in 2025. He has a longstanding love affair with the New York followers and has performed in 12 Ryder Cups.
However Mickelson torched various bridges throughout his transfer to LIV, possible taking his title out of captain consideration for now.
Woods is an apparent selection. On high of his Ryder Cup enjoying expertise, he has been closely concerned as an assistant captain. He additionally captained the U.S. Presidents Cup workforce to victory in 2019.
The Europeans have introduced that Luke Donald is returning after a fruitful captaincy in Rome. If the previous is any indication, the Individuals will decide their chief this February or March.
The Individuals are in search of a home-run rent, particularly given the sudden shaky perception in U.S. workforce golf. A win on house soil (the host aspect has received 5 straight Ryder Cups) seems like a should.
Woods, for his half, is concentrated on the sport’s future in the meanwhile.
“Now we have to get this accomplished and now we have to be centered on this proper now,” Woods mentioned of the tour’s negotiations with the PIF. “The Ryder Cup can take a beat. The gamers and everybody concerned understands that this is a matter we have to deal with.”
Nonetheless, that is Tiger’s Ryder Cup captaincy if he needs it.
“Tiger’s into a whole lot of stuff proper now nevertheless it’s sort of his name … he’s the subsequent logical selection,” mentioned former U.S. captain Davis Love III.
3. We May See rather a lot Extra of Woods on the Course.
Following a sensational comeback stretch in 2018-2019, Woods hasn’t performed a lot aggressive golf.
He was mediocre throughout 9 begins in 2020 after which his automobile accident got here in February 2021. He didn’t play any event golf that 12 months given the intense damage to his proper leg.
Woods has a mixed 5 official begins since then. Though he made the minimize twice within the Masters over that interval, his finest end was a tie for forty fifth within the Genesis Invitational. He may barely stroll round Augusta Nationwide throughout final 12 months’s Masters and he opted for ankle fusion surgical procedure after that look.
It felt like we have been lastly seeing Woods absolutely transition into ceremonial golfer standing.
That will nonetheless be the case however there’s some purpose for cautious optimism.
Woods seemed good strolling 72 holes on the Hero World Problem. He received to make use of a cart on the PNC Championship a few weeks later however he did stroll throughout the apply spherical.
The most important information is that he hopes to play much more golf subsequent 12 months. It might be sensible to see him at as many as eight tournaments. It’s an enormous ask however he mentioned the perfect state of affairs for him could be “perhaps a event a month” throughout the competitors schedule.
“If I’m in a position to apply and do the issues I do know I can do and put together, I do know I can nonetheless do it,” Woods mentioned. “I can nonetheless hit the golf ball. It’s only a matter of prepping and getting sufficient reps in and getting sufficient work in and being proper bodily and the endurance functionality of it.”
The expectation is to see Woods open his season on the Genesis Invitational in February. We’re then considering he may play one occasion in March, such because the Gamers Championship, to gear up for the Masters in April.
The PGA Championship is in Might at Valhalla the place he received the 2000 PGA in a playoff over Bob Might. The U.S. Open is in June at Pinehurst No. 2. Woods isn’t at present certified for the U.S. Open—the one of the 4 majors he isn’t exempt for—nevertheless it’s anticipated he would obtain a particular exemption. That leaves the Open Championship at Royal Troon in July.
It’s unlikely he qualifies for the FedEx Cup playoffs or the Olympics, so something after the Open Championship might be gravy.
All the pieces is determined by how his physique feels. One or two setbacks and he might be accomplished for the 12 months.
The query of whether or not he can nonetheless compete is an inexpensive one. We haven’t seen him with an opportunity to win a PGA Tour occasion since properly earlier than LIV disrupted the golf world.
However not less than there’s hope he can provide it a go. Golf is healthier with him enjoying.
4. Woods Might be Parting Methods With NIKE.
Is that this the tip of Tiger’s 27-year partnership with NIKE?
Rumors have been swirling that some of the noteworthy athlete-apparel relationships in sports activities historical past might be coming to a detailed. Thus far, all now we have is these rumors. Woods didn’t make clear a lot earlier this month.
“I’m nonetheless carrying their product,” Woods mentioned earlier than answering a follow-up query with the very same line.
Woods has been with the corporate since turning professional in 1996, making a reported $500 million over the lifetime of the partnership. He performed NIKE golf equipment beginning within the early 2000s however Nike exited the arduous items enterprise in 2016. That left Woods to transition to TaylorMade golf equipment and a Bridgestone ball.
Whereas persevering with to don NIKE attire, Woods has been carrying FootJoy footwear for the reason that 2022 Masters, citing an elevated stability with the brand new footwear.
TaylorMade has been hinting at getting extra concerned within the attire area. A number of job postings by the model have been noticed as they appear to rent for a “new attire division.”
There’s hypothesis NIKE may depart the golf attire trade totally however they nonetheless have offers with the likes of Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Tony Finau, Brooks Koepka, Nelly Korda and Tommy Fleetwood. There are a couple of TaylorMade gamers in that steady so there might be a connection there.
If Woods does half methods, will probably be a significant story. We will likely be following this one intently.
5. TGL is Nonetheless on the Horizon.
This upcoming 12 months may have been a lot busier for Woods if TGL began on time.
Nevertheless, a large storm induced a delay in building of the league’s enviornment. Now we must wait till 2025 to see the brand new indoor league that guarantees souped-up simulator golf in entrance of a dwell viewers.
Woods has been a driving pressure in TGL’s creation. He partnered with McIlroy and former Golf Channel president Mike McCarley to discovered TMRW Sports activities, the sports activities and leisure firm behind TGL. He is also an proprietor of Jupiter Hyperlinks GC, one of many six groups competing within the league.
It’s clear he was one of many main voices behind mixing the bodily with the digital to create this new golf world. The sector will characteristic actual grass for full pictures in addition to a inexperienced advanced that may change contours.
And as unusual as it’s to say out loud, perhaps that might turn into extra accepted as “actual golf” sooner or later, particularly given the explosion of Topgolf, Puttshack and different alternate types of the sport.
Woods may do an hour of stand-up comedy and draw severe scores. The very fact he will likely be enjoying some model of golf, in opposition to a roster of the sport’s finest, will garner appreciable consideration.
Keep in mind that Tiger, Mickelson, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady performed a made-for-TV match in 2020 and drew a mean of 5.8 million viewers. That was the most-watched golf occasion in cable tv historical past.
TGL will likely be ignored by many nevertheless it has severe backers and will nonetheless achieve success.
Woods’ assist will clearly be key. After a false begin, he figures to be pushing for TGL to nonetheless have a good shot when it’s scheduled to get began 12 months from now.
