when did tiger woods join the pga tour

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Tiger Woods: Career Timeline from 1996 to Today

• Author: Associated Press

Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

Here is an overview of notable moments from the extraordinary career of 15-time major championship winner Tiger Woods

 The timeline of memorable events in Tiger Woods ’ career:

• August 1996 — Wins third straight U.S. Amateur and turns professional the following week.
• October 1996 — Wins the Las Vegas Invitational for his first PGA Tour victory in his fifth professional tournament.
• April 1997 — Wins the Masters at age 21 with a record score (270) and a record margin of victory (12 shots) to become its youngest champion.
• June 2000 — Wins the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach by 15 shots, the largest margin in major championship history.
• April 2001 — Completes the “Tiger Slam,” winning the Masters to become the only player to hold all four professional majors at the same time.
• October 2004 — Marries Elin Nordegren.
• June 2007 — Nordegren gives birth to their first child, daughter Samantha, a day after Woods finishes runner-up in the U.S. Open.
• June 2008 — Wins the U.S. Open in a playoff at Torrey Pines for his 14th major, four short of the record held by Jack Nicklaus . A week later, he has reconstructive surgery on his left knee to repair a torn ACL and two stress fractures in his left tibia. He is out for eight months.
• February 2009 — Wife gives birth to their son, Charlie.
• August 2009 — Loses a two-shot lead in the final round of the PGA Championship to Y.E. Yang, the first time Woods has lost a 54-hole lead in a major.
• November 2009 — Crashes his SUV into a tree and a fire hydrant outside his Windemere, Florida home. Within a few weeks, his personal life unravels with reports of multiple extramarital affairs and he loses major sponsorship endorsements. He spends 45 days in a clinic and does not return to golf until the 2010 Masters.
• August 2010 — His divorce is finalized.
• March 2012 — Wins the Arnold Palmer Invitational for his first PGA Tour victory since the scandal in his personal life.
• April 2014 — Has back surgery a week before the Masters and misses Augusta National for the first time.
• August 2014 — Misses the cut in the PGA Championship and says he will take the rest of the year off, including the Ryder Cup , to get healthy.
• February 2015 — Looking like an amateur with his short game, shoots 82 in the Phoenix Open to miss the cut. A week later at Torrey Pines, withdraws after 11 holes. Announces he is taking time off to work on his game, saying that “my play, and scores, are not acceptable for tournament golf.”
• April 2015 — Returns at the Masters, his chipping issues gone, and ties for 17th.
• June 2015 — Shoots an 85 in the third round of the Memorial, his highest score as a professional.
• August 2015 — Misses the cut in his third straight major at the PGA Championship.
• September 2015 — Has a second back surgery.
• October 2015 — Has a third procedure on his back.
• December 2015 — In a somber press conference at his Hero World Challenge, Woods says of his future, “So where is the light at the end of the tunnel? I don’t know.” He says he wants to play again and anything else he achieves will be “gravy.”
• January 2017 — Makes first PGA Tour start since 2015 and misses the cut at Torrey Pines.
• April 2017 — Has a fourth back surgery, this one to fuse his lower back.
• May 2017 — Arrested and briefly jailed in Jupiter, Florida, on suspicion of DUI. Police find him asleep behind the wheel of his car in the early morning with the engine running. He attributes it to a bad combination of pain medication.
• October 2017 — Woods pleads guilty to reckless driving and agrees to enter a diversion program. Prosecutors drop the DUI charge under the plea agreement.
• December 2017 — Returns to competition at his Hero World Challenge, posts three rounds in the 60s and ties for ninth against an 18-man field, 10 shots behind.
• July 2018 — Takes the lead in the final round of the British Open , only to make double bogey on the 12th hole and finish in a tie for sixth.
• August 2018 — Closes with a 64, his lowest final round ever in a major, and is runner-up to Brooks Koepka in the PGA Championship.
• September 2018 — Wins the Tour Championship for his 80th career victory on the PGA Tour, leaving him two shy of the record held by Sam Snead.
• April 2019 — Wins the Masters for his fifth green jacket and 15th major title, his first in 11 years. He moves within three victories of Jack Nicklaus’ record for major championships.
• December 2020 — Has a fifth back surgery, a microdiscectomy.
• Feb. 23, 2021 — Is in a single-car accident in suburban Los Angeles and is extricated from the rolled over vehicle, suffering leg injuries that require surgery.
• Nov. 21, 2021 — His official social media accounts share a video of Tiger hitting a shot with a wedge.
• Dec. 8, 2021 — Tiger announces he'll play the PNC Championship with son Charlie.

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As a nine year-old, Tiger made a bold commitment to his father, Earl: I’m going to be professionally excellent

Tiger (Eldrick) Woods, born December 30, 1975, is a professional golfer and entrepreneur .

Since turning professional in 1996, Tiger has built an unprecedented competitive career. His achievements on the course–106 worldwide wins and 15 majors–have mirrored his success off the course as well.

Woods serves as Founder and CEO of TGR, a multibrand enterprise comprised of his various companies and philanthropic endeavors, including TGR Design, the golf course design company; The TGR Foundation, a charitable foundation; TGR Live, an events production company; and The Woods Jupiter, an upscale sports restaurant.

He has 82 PGA TOUR wins, tied with Sam Snead, holding the record for most wins in history. His majors victories include the five Masters Tournaments, four PGA Championships, three U.S. Open Championships, and three British Open Championships. With his second Masters victory in 2001, Tiger became the first golfer ever to hold all four professional major championships at the same time.

In winning the 2000 British Open at St. Andrews, Woods became the youngest to complete the career Grand Slam of professional major championships and only the fifth ever to do so, following Ben Hogan, Gene Sarazen, Gary Player, and Jack Nicklaus. Tiger was also the youngest Masters champion ever, at the age of 21 years, three months and 14 days, and was the first major championship winner of African or Asian heritage. The 2000 U.S. Open and 2001 Masters victories came by record margins, 15 strokes and 12 strokes, respectively.

He is the career victories leader among active players on the PGA TOUR, and is the career money list leader.

Despite being unable to play the majority of 2016, Woods, the entrepreneur and philanthropist, made significant news. In February, the TGR Learning Lab in Anaheim celebrated its 10th anniversary, with satellite facilities now located in Washington, DC, Philadelphia and Stuart, Florida. Eight months later in October, the Tiger Woods Foundation commemorated its 20th anniversary with a gala event at the New York Public Library featuring Woods and Nike’s Phil Knight.

The Woods Jupiter celebrated its first anniversary—the restaurant opened in August, 2015—and TGR Design’s Bluejack National course located outside Houston, Texas was selected Best New Private Course by both Golf Digest and Golf Magazine/Sports Illustrated.

Tiger is the son of Earl Woods, a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army, and his wife, Kultida, a native of Thailand.  He was nicknamed Tiger after a Vietnamese soldier and friend of his father, Vuong Dang Phong, to whom his father had also given that nickname.

He grew up in Cypress, California. He took an interest in golf at age 6 months, watching as his father hit golf balls into a net and imitating his swing.  He appeared on The Mike Douglas Show at age 2, putting with Bob Hope. He shot 48 for nine holes at age 3 and was featured in Golf Digest at age 5.

Tiger played in his first professional tournament in 1992, at age 16, the Los Angeles Open, and made the 36-hole cut and tied for 34th place in the 1994 Johnnie Walker Asian Classic in Thailand, He entered Stanford University in 1994 and in two years he won 10 collegiate events, concluding with the NCAA title.

Woods compiled one of the most impressive amateur records in golf history, winning six USGA national championships before turning professional on August 27, 1996. He concluded his amateur career by winning an unprecedented third consecutive U.S. Amateur title, finishing with a record 18 consecutive match-play victories.

The week after winning his third U.S. Amateur title, Woods played his first tournament as a professional in the Greater Milwaukee Open. It was one of only seven events left in 1996 for him to finish among the top 125 money winners and earn a player’s card for the PGA TOUR. He won twice and placed among the top 30 money winners.

Woods won four PGA TOUR events in 1997, plus one overseas, and was the leading money winner.  He achieved No. 1 on the Official World Golf Ranking for the most rapid progression ever to that position. On June 15, 1997, in his 42nd week as a professional, Woods became the youngest-ever No. 1 golfer at age 21 years, 24 weeks.

Woods won eight times on the PGA TOUR in 1999 (11 worldwide), including the PGA Championship. He won four consecutive PGA TOUR events to end the year and started 2000 with two more victories for a total of six in succession.

In 2000, Woods won 11 events, including three professional majors in the same year, and also became the first player since 1936-37 to win the PGA Championship in consecutive years. Woods won five times, including the Masters, in 2001 and eight times worldwide. He won five times again on TOUR in 2002, and seven times worldwide, and was the TOUR’s leading money winner for the fourth consecutive year.

Woods won five times, including the Masters, in 2001 and eight times worldwide.

He won a total of 20 times from 2003-06, lead the TOUR’s money list twice and captured four majors. Woods joined Nicklaus as the only player to win the Grand Slam twice. His emotional win the following year at the British Open at Royal Liverpool came two months after his father’s death. He won the 2006 PGA Championship by five strokes at Medinah CC, the same venue where he won the event in 1999.

He began 2007 with his seventh consecutive PGA TOUR victory and ended the year with a total of seven official wins, including a second-consecutive PGA Championship. In 2008, he won four of six PGA TOUR events, including his 14th major at the U.S. Open—his last event of the year before season-ending knee surgery—plus the Dubai Desert Classic, and finished second on the TOUR money list in just six starts. At his major win at Torrey Pines, Woods sank a 12-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to force an eventual 19-hole playoff (tied at even-par 71 after 18 holes) the following day.  He later revealed that he had played the tournament with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and a double stress fracture in the same leg.

In 2009, he returned to the winner’s circle after 286 days and ended the year leading the PGA TOUR in victories (6) and money ($10,508,163). He also won his first tournament in Australia. He captured three tournaments in 2012 and five in 2013.

Sports Illustrated selected Woods as the 1996 and 2000 Sportsman of the Year, the first to win the award more than once. L’Equipe (France) selected him as the 2000 World Champion of Champions. The Associated Press chose Woods as the Male Athlete of the Year for 1997, 1999 and 2000. He and Michael Jordan are the only athletes to win the award three times. He was chosen ESPY Male Athlete of the Year in 1997 (tied with Ken Griffey, Jr.), 1999, 2000 and 2001. The founding members of the World Sports Academy, in voting for the Laureus Sports Awards, also selected him as the 1999 and 2000 World Sportsman of the Year. In 2008 Businessweek made Woods No. 1 in The Power 100 for the most influential people in sports. In 2009 he was selected AP Athlete of the Decade. Woods received 56 of 142 votes cast by AP editors throughout the country. He was also inducted into the Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame.

Woods was selected as the 1997, 1999, 2000-2003, 2005-2007, 2009, 2013 Player of the Year by the PGA TOUR (Jack Nicklaus Award) and the PGA of America and by the Golf Writers Association of America in 1997, 1999, 2000-2003, 2005-2007, 2009. His adjusted scoring average averages in 2000 and 2007 of 67.79 strokes were the lowest ever and earned him the Byron Nelson Award on the PGA TOUR and the Vardon Trophy from the PGA of America. He also had an actual scoring average in 2000 of 68.17, breaking Nelson’s record of 68.33 in 1945.

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Tiger Woods' first PGA Tour event and six more notable debuts

This letter from 16-year-old @JordanSpieth is a must-read. #LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/SZVsH7HVg4 — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 14, 2018

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Before 'Hello world,' Tiger really started PGA Tour career at Riviera

• Winner of four Emmys while at ESPN

That first shot was darned near perfect.

All of 16 years old and a hundred and nothing pounds, the wiry wunderkind named Eldrick Woods, already known to the golf world simply as Tiger, stood on the elevated first tee box at Riviera Country Club surrounded by tournament officials and cameramen and various other gawkers and onlookers. He then belted the first drive of his PGA Tour career right down the fairway.

He made it look easy. It wasn't. With so many eyeballs affixed to the reigning U.S. Junior Amateur champion, Tiger foreshadowed what would become a running theme throughout his career.

"I've never felt a golf club that heavy in my life," he recently recalled. "I teed it up fine, but as I took the club back, I've never felt a club weigh so much."

It has been almost 25 years since that day, a quarter-century since Woods teed it up in a PGA Tour event for the first time.

The tournament, then called the Nissan Los Angeles Open, has undergone three name changes since then. It's now the Genesis Open -- and that kid who could barely take the club back when he was 16 is serving as host of his hometown event for the first time this week.

Early recollections of Woods' developmental breakthrough often turn to the third of his three U.S. Amateur victories, a calculated match-play comeback. Or his professional debut, before which he famously proclaimed, "I guess, hello world, huh?"

The journey, though, was expedited by that first round against the world's best players on Feb. 27, 1992.

His opening drive led to a quick birdie, but he'd soon understand how fleeting success can be on this level.

"This is great, this is how you want to start off your PGA Tour career," Woods thought to himself. "Next hole, I snap-hooked it right against the fence. OK, that's not how you want to continue this [on the] PGA Tour."

He'd post a 1-over 72 that day, but the score wasn't indicative of his emerging talent or his comfort level.

"If he was nervous, you couldn't tell," recalled Bob Friend , one of his playing partners that day. "Tiger carried himself like a senior in college, a four-time first-team All-American. Very calm, very cool, a lot of moxie, a lot of poise. He was a gentleman the entire time. You play with some guys who haven't played in a pro event and they're standing in your through line or their bag is in the wrong place. But he was great with all of that."

If Woods seemed like any normal competitor in a PGA Tour event, the size -- and sensibility -- of his gallery was far from it.

"We said, 'Yeah, you're going to be alright.' It was one of those things, like, duh." Bob Friend to Tiger on his golf future

"The first tee at Riviera, you couldn't have gotten another person in there; the first fairway was lined on both sides," said Dicky Thompson, who played three years on tour and now works at a Lowe's Home Improvement store near his home in Peachtree City, Georgia. "For me and Bob, we weren't used to playing in a situation like that. We were usually lucky to have anyone there. It was usually just family and friends. ... That was hard to adjust to."

"The biggest issue was the media," Friend explained. "You had a lot of people who had never covered a golf tournament out there covering this kid. They were a disaster. They were all over the place. A guy stopped right in front of me as I was reading a putt. I was like, 'Yo, buddy. Could you move?'"

Despite being only a sophomore at nearby Western High School, Tiger remained unnerved by the circus around him. In fact, he used a little downtime during the round to crowd-source his fellow players.

Friend, who is now working in real estate after a lengthy PGA Tour career, vividly remembers the group waiting to hit their tee shots on the 13th, when Woods approached to ask him a question.

"So, you guys think I can make it out here?" he asked.

"We said, 'Yeah, you're going to be all right,'" Friend recalled with a laugh. "It was one of those things, like: Duh."

Of course, he wouldn't make it out there immediately. Woods followed that opening 72 with a 75 the next day, missing the cut during a week that later saw Fred Couples defeat Davis Love III in a playoff.

Woods was recently asked to reflect on that week and what he learned as a result.

"I realized I have so far to go and I'm not that good," he said. "I'm good in high school golf and good in junior golf, but to compete against these guys out here, there's no chance. I've got to get a lot better."

He then paused for a few seconds, reminiscing quietly before finishing his thought.

"And 25 years later," he continued, "here we are."

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Tiger Woods' first PGA Tour title, 25 years on: Remembering his win at the 1996 Las Vegas Invitational

October 6 marks the 25th anniversary of Tiger Woods defeating Davis Love III in a play-off to win the Las Vegas Invitational, his first of 82 PGA Tour titles.

By Jim McCabe

Wednesday 6 October 2021 07:05, UK

It is sometimes difficult to fathom, but the media circus has travelled with Tiger Woods since before social media dominated our world. As a reminder, harken back 25 years - October 6, 1996, to be exact - when the 20-year-old Woods broke through for his first PGA Tour win in just his fifth start.

While the number of journalists on-site may have been thin compared to this week's Shriners Children's Open - or at least when compared to a month earlier, when Woods made his pro debut in Milwaukee or a few weeks prior when he got into contention at the Quad City Classic in Illinois - the Vegas storylines were plentiful.

Fuelled in large part, of course, by players who were none too happy with the great buzz surrounding Woods. "Everything has been Tiger, Tiger," moaned Fred Funk. "They kind of forget about everyone else out here."

Such chatter did not fluster Woods, who might have arrived at the Las Vegas Invitational too young to partake in the casinos - "I can watch, that's about it," he shrugged - but he was already battle-tested when it came to media scrutiny and more than capable of brushing aside the petty critiques.

Equally impressive was Woods' ability to nonchalantly put behind him the sort of pedestrian opening round that he produced at Las Vegas Hilton, one of three courses used for the five-round Las Vegas Invitational. With a 70, Woods was eight off Rick Fehr's lead.

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By now, Woods already had already demonstrated the explosive talent that lifted him to three consecutive wins in the U.S. Amateur. After a tie for 60th in his debut in Milwaukee, Woods ran off a T11 in Canada, a share of fifth in Quad City, and a T3 at the B.C. Open. He had shot in the 60s in seven of eight rounds prior to Vegas, so no one was shocked when Woods followed that 70 with a stunning 63 at the host course, TPC Summerlin, and a 68 at Desert Inn to push into a tie for eighth, six off Fehr's lead.

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So, sorry, Mr. Funk, but it mattered little that seven players had better 54-hole scores, or that luminaries such as Davis Love III, Fred Couples, Phil Mickelson, Payne Stewart and Jim Furyk were in attendance. All spotlights focused on Woods, especially because this was a 90-hole hole tournament, meaning the kid from Stanford had two more rounds to make up the deficit.

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Though the third round had kept Woods in the thick of things, it had left him in pain - mentally and physically. He had, after all, played the front nine in 5-under, so finishing with 68 left him seething. But more importantly, Woods had aggravated a groin injury that he insisted dated back to his U.S. Amateur win in August.

"(With) all the golf I've been playing, I never gave it a chance to heal," explained Woods.

His burning desire to do the improbable - earn his PGA Tour card by finishing in the top 125 on the money list in fewer than 10 starts - had prompted the heavy schedule. It had also ignited some controversy, too, because citing burn-out, Woods had withdrawn from the Buick Challenge and a dinner at which he was to receive the Haskins Award as the nation's top collegiate golfer.

Oh, how that got the troops riled up.

"He'll probably take a little heat for this," predicted Peter Jacobsen, who was correct. Love told reporters, "He's a rookie and rookies make rookie mistakes," while Stewart Cink, a previous Haskins winner, was more direct: "To some degree I think it offends all the players who have won that award."

15 HOF members earned victories at Walt Disney World during their career, including @TigerWoods (2x). This year marks the 25-year anniversary of Woods' 1996 victory at the event (his second win overall as a professional), and he’ll officially be inducted as a HOF member in March. pic.twitter.com/YQWpTGfiV7 — Golf Hall of Fame (@GolfHallofFame) October 1, 2021

A week later, Woods was in Vegas and let the criticism ride. "I got some messages from the guys who said they didn't exactly say what was written," he told reporters. "Those guys have been very nice to me."

His diplomatic skills notwithstanding, Woods had another persona once it came time to peg it up for real. Competitors already noticed the ferocity of his focus.

Nursing that painful groin injury, Woods turned a quiet round into something very intriguing when he eagled the par-five 16th Saturday to shoot a five-under 67 and get within four of the leader, Ronnie Black.

Then, the magic that Woods had shown as an amateur and which would become his calling card as a professional poured forth at TPC Summerlin in the fifth round. A birdie at the first got the fans into an early frenzy, then came an eagle at the par-five third to kick it up another notch.

Woods kept his foot on the pedal. Birdies at the ninth, 11th and 13th were electric. A birdie at the 14th pulled him into a tie and a two-putt birdie at the 16th gave him the clubhouse lead. From the practice range, Woods got word that Love had made a late eagle and birdie to pull into tie, at 27-under.

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Months earlier, young and brash, Woods had told Love that it was his dream to go head-to-head down the stretch and beat the established superstar, to which Love had replied something like, "Good luck, I hope you get the chance."

Much to Love's chagrin, that chance arrived at TPC Summerlin and Woods wasted little time in cashing in. A fairway-splitting three-wood at the 18th hole, followed by a nine-iron to 20 feet applied the sort of pressure that would soon become his calling card.

"He would know I was in position for birdie," Woods said, confirming that it was his strategy to hit first into the first play-off hole.

The kid's maturity already uncanny, he was correct; Love couldn't match the shot, delivering an 8-iron into a left bunker. After Woods deftly two-putted for par, he watched Love miss a six-footer, so hats were doffed and handshakes exchanged.

The oversized mock check for $297,000 still hangs in Woods' office. But what resonates more profoundly is the post-game quote from Love, then 32 and at the height of his career.

"As disappointed as I am, I'm that much happy for him," said Love. "He's a great player and he's great for the TOUR."

True then. True still, 25 years later.

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Tiger Woods' First PGA Tour Win: The 1996 Las Vegas Invitational

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When and where did Tiger Woods win his first PGA Tour tournament? It happened at the 1996 Las Vegas Invitational , which concluded on Oct. 6, 1996.

Woods was 20 years old at the time and it was just his fifth start in a PGA Tour event since turning pro. He was ranked 221st in the world rankings going into the tournament; he moved up to 75th after winning it. The tournament took place Oct. 2-6, played at TPC Summerlin golf course.

How Woods Won the 1996 Las Vegas Invitational

The 1996 Las Vegas Invitational was five rounds in length, 90 holes total. Woods opened with a 70, but from that point on he was on fire: Woods scored 26-under over the tournament's final 72 holes.

In the second round, Woods fired a 63. After a third-round 68, Woods moved into the Top 10. A 67 in Round 4 put Woods into a tie for seventh place, four strokes off the lead.

A final-round 64 put Woods in position to win, but Davis Love III eagled the 15th and birdied the 16th holes to tie Woods. Woods and Love finished regulation tied at 27-under 332.

Woods and Love entered a sudden-death playoff, but Love found a greenside bunker on the first extra hole and failed to get up-and-down . That gave Tiger two putts for the win, and Woods claimed his first professional victory. (Love was a 10-time PGA Tour champion at the time; he went on to win 21 career titles and earn membership in the World Golf Hall of Fame.)

The winner's paycheck was $297,000. The victory earned Woods a berth in the 1997 Masters — which he dominated to earn his first win in a major — and a two-year membership to the PGA Tour. That guaranteed that Woods wouldn't have to go through Q-School to earn tour membership. (In 2016, Woods told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he still has the giant check presented to him during the trophy presentation — it is hanging on a wall in one of Woods' offices.)

"He's not playing for the money," Love said after losing the playoff to Woods. "He thinks about winning and nothing else. I like the way he thinks. We were all trying to prolong the inevitable. We knew he was going to win. I just didn't want it to be today. Everybody better watch out: He's going to be a force."

Woods averaged 323 yards off the tee during the tournament, which was 13 yards longer than the next-longest player for the week, and nearly 40 yards longer than the field average.

You can watch highlights from Woods' victory at the 1996 LVI on YouTube.

Leading Up to Woods' First PGA Tour Win

Woods' first PGA Tour tournament after turning pro was the 1996 Greater Milwaukee Open, which concluded on Sept. 1. He played in four tournaments prior to his first win, and he finished higher in each successive event:

(*shortened to 54 holes by rain)

Following his win at the Las Vegas Invitational, Woods played three more PGA Tour tournaments in his rookie season: He finished third at the LaCantera Texas Open, won the Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic and was 21st at The Tour Championship.

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Tiger Woods joins PGA Tour board and gives commissioner his support as Saudi deal talks continue

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Tiger Woods has joined the PGA Tour policy board for the first time in his 27 years on tour, giving Commissioner Jay Monahan key support as he rebuilds trust while forging ahead with details of a business partnership with Saudi backers of LIV Golf .

Woods will become a sixth player director — a year ago, the PGA Tour had only four players on its board — as part of a broad agreement that gives the players a greater voice and awareness of any major deals going forward.

The announcement Tuesday is a response to the PGA Tour having secret talks with the head of Saudi Arabia's national wealth fund that led to a proposed partnership that was announced in June and stunned players who had lined up behind the tour to fend off the Saudi threat.

Woods, as the sixth player director, marks the first time players have outnumbered the five independent directors on the board. The 12th board member is the PGA of America president, John Lindert.

Equally critical to Monahan was the support from Woods. Monahan is seeing players this week at the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina, for the first time since he took a monthlong leave because of a medical situation . He returned to work two weeks ago.

“I am honored to represent the players of the PGA Tour,” Woods said in a statement, his first public comments since the Saudi deal was announced. “This is a critical point for the tour, and the players will do their best to make certain that any changes that are made in tour operations are in the best interest of all tour stakeholders.”

Woods thanked Monahan for agreeing to act on the players' concerns and said “we look forward to being at the table with him to make the right decisions for the future of the game.

“He has my confidence moving forward with these changes.”

Woods had been one of the strongest opponents of LIV Golf and helped run a meeting of select players last August in Delaware to restructure the PGA Tour model, geared toward bringing the top players together more often for $20 million purses .

While limited in his appearances because of injuries from a February 2021 car crash, Woods remains the most powerful voice among players. He has never served on the Player Advisory Council or the PGA Tour policy board. But his opinions have always been sought — and often heard — in private with Monahan and his predecessor, Tim Finchem.

“Tiger's voice and leadership throughout his career have contributed immeasurably to the success of the PGA Tour, and to apply both to our governance and go-forward plan at this crucial time is even more welcomed and impactful,” Monahan said.

The tour said “player leaders” asked for certain steps to be taken immediately, and Monahan agreed. That starts with amending the board's governing documents to ensure no major decision can be made without prior involvement and approval of the players on the board.

Monahan recently appointed Colin Neville, a partner at The Raine Group, as an adviser to the player directors as the tour works out a definitive agreement with the Public Investment Fund and the European tour.

Under the agreement announced Tuesday, Neville will be kept abreast of negotiations on the framework agreement and given full access to documents as he represents the players.

Neville was in the Delaware player meeting last August that led to the restructuring. He was involved in the team concept of the Premier Golf League some five years ago, which was to be supported by private capital. It never got going, and many of the ideas were adopted by LIV Golf.

Monahan said he was committed to restoring “any lost trust or confidence” from what he described as the surprise announcement on June 6. According to the framework agreement , the sides have until Dec. 31 to reach a definitive deal, although that can be extended.

“Any agreement we reach must be shaped by our members' input and approval earned through our player directors,” Monahan said.

The other player directors are Rory McIlroy (the first international player on the board ), Webb Simpson, Charley Hoffman and Peter Malnati. Patrick Cantlay was the fifth player added to the board at the start of the year.

The independent directors are Chairman Ed Herlihy and Jimmy Dunne , who worked privately with Monahan on the Saudi agreement, along with Mary Meeker and Mark Flaherty. Former AT&T Chairman Randall Stephenson recently resigned , saying he could not support the Saudi agreement. Players are involved in the search to replace him.

The framework agreement would allow Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of the PIF, to join the board as an independent director. Monahan had told The Associated Press in June that Al-Rumayyan would not be an additional board member but would replace someone whose term expires.

The tour listed 41 players who supported the changes, including Woods, McIlroy, Cantlay, Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth. The 41 players include every PGA Tour member from the top 20 in the world ranking, along with all 16 members of the Player Advisory Council.

“I think it’s very obvious last year that a pretty good amount of us were frustrated and taken back with how some things took place,” Justin Thomas said. “We were just kind of put in a funky or tough position with how stuff was handled in the past. We want to have a say of what’s going on because it is our tour and ... how it’s structured and how it looks is important to us.”

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

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Tiger Woods added to PGA Tour Policy Board as players seek new governance and transparency measures

Warren Little

Tiger Woods is joining the PGA Tour Policy Board as part of an effort from the tour to provide new governance and transparency measures with its membership.

In a press release Tuesday, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan wrote that Woods will be the sixth player director of the tour’s policy board, a move that appears to have come at the request of several dozen players who reached out to tour leadership seeking additional control of the tour.

Woods joins Rory McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay, Webb Simpson, Peter Malnati and Charley Hoffman as player directors, with five independent directors and the PGA of America director on the board. One of the independent director seats is currently vacant following Randall Stephenson’s resignation in wake of the tour’s framework agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

According to the release, Woods and the board “will work together to amend the policy board’s governing documents to make it clear that no major decision can be made in the future without the prior involvement and approval of the player directors.” Additionally, the release states the board has the full authority to approve or decline the proposed deal with PIF. After feeling like they were left in the dark when the framework agreement was worked out in late May and early June, players wanted to make sure the fate of the tour was in fact in their own hands.

The release acknowledged that player leaders asked that certain steps regarding the tour's governance "be taken immediately," with Monahan agreeing to support the players and their requests with the Tuesday announcement. According to a report in the Washington Post , a group of 41 players—including Scottie Scheffler, McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas and Woods himself—sent a letter to Monahan on Monday with those requests, including adding Woods to the policy board. Reports indicate that the letter was prompted by Woods.

"I think it's important. I think it's very obvious last year that a pretty good amount of us were frustrated and taken back with how some things took place," said Justin Thomas when asked about the announcement on Tuesday during a press conference ahead of this week's Wyndham Championship. "You know, we were just kind of put in a funky or tough position with how stuff was handled in the past. Yeah, we just, we want to have a say of what's going on because, you know, it is our tour as well and how it's structured and how it looks is important to us. So we would like to have a little bit of a say-so on how that looks."

“I am honored to represent the players of the PGA Tour,” Woods said in a statement. “This is a critical point for the tour, and the players will do their best to make certain that any changes that are made in tour operations are in the best interest of all tour stakeholders, including fans, sponsors and players. The players thank Commissioner Monahan for agreeing to address our concerns, and we look forward to being at the table with him to make the right decisions for the future of the game that we all love. He has my confidence moving forward with these changes.”

Monahan also announced that Colin Neville of the Raine Group will be brought in to help ensure a transparent, efficient and collaborative process and be a resource for the negotiations between the tour, the PIF and the DP World Tour, echoing similar sentiments Monahan made in a memo to tour membership last week. The Raine Group was behind the Premier Golf League, the tour that initially attempted to rival the PGA Tour before Saudi’s PIF investment diverted from the effort and instead founded LIV Golf. Neville, sources tell Golf Digest, was an advisor of sorts to the players-led initiative by Woods and McIlroy to combat the LIV Golf threat last summer.

Thomas praised Woods, who is tied for the most wins in PGA Tour history, for taking a leadership role with the tour despite playing a limited schedule as the 47-year-old deals with long-term injuries from his car accident in 2021.

"He takes the future of the PGA Tour very seriously and he wants it to be in the best hands possible and it to be in the best position possible," Thomas said. "I think it would be very easy for someone like him, all he's done, just kind of like what do I need to do, I've made the tour what it is, where it's at financially, all the sponsors, TV deals whatever, and it would be pretty easy for him to just hide under a rock the rest of his life and be just fine. But that's not who he is, he wants to continue to see the PGA Tour grow and succeed."

The framework agreement outlined that the tour and PIF have until the end of the year to come to a deal for the proposed for-profit entity, although both parties have the option to extend the deadline.

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Tiger Woods Joins PGA Tour Board in Concession to Player Demands

With the addition of Woods, players will outnumber independent directors, giving them the final say in the tour’s plan to form a partnership with Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund.

By Kevin Draper ,  Alan Blinder and Lauren Hirsch

Infuriated after being blindsided by the PGA Tour’s pact with Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund , a band of leading golfers has won a series of concessions from the beleaguered circuit’s commissioner — including the elevation of Tiger Woods to the tour’s board — in a star-driven rebuke of the tour.

The tour announced the changes on Tuesday, one day after dozens of top players wrote to Jay Monahan, the tour’s commissioner, and insisted on significant overhauls.

The demands detailed in the Monday letter amounted to a dramatic effort to reclaim power over a circuit that got its modern start after a player rebellion in the late 1960s. The players, including Woods, Patrick Cantlay, Rickie Fowler, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler, said that the secret negotiations toward a tentative deal with the Saudi wealth fund had defied the principle that the tour should be committed to players and run by them.

The addition of Woods to the board, one of several changes agreed to by Monahan with a signed acknowledgment, would allow the players to outnumber six to five the independent board members, who come from the worlds of business and law. In addition, the players want to change the board’s rules to avoid a repeat of the negotiations with the Saudis, in which a handful of independent board members acted without the backing of players on the board.

A final agreement with the Saudi wealth fund would not clear the board, the players insisted, without one of their advisers, Colin Neville of the merchant bank Raine, being able to review the tour’s files and the terms of the deal with the players.

“This is a critical point for the tour, and the players will do their best to make certain that any changes that are made in tour operations are in the best interest of all tour stakeholders, including fans, sponsors and players,” Woods said in a statement.

“The players thank Commissioner Monahan for agreeing to address our concerns, and we look forward to being at the table with him to make the right decisions for the future of the game that we all love,” Woods added. “He has my confidence moving forward with these changes.”

Sustained support for Monahan was no certainty entering the week. In a striking show of force, more than 40 players, including Woods, the five sitting members of the board and the 16 members of an important advisory council, signed the letter to Monahan.

Monahan quickly agreed to the players’ proposals. “I am committed to taking the necessary steps to restore any lost trust or confidence that occurred as a result of the surprise announcement,” he said in a statement.

Player outrage over the deal with the wealth fund began about as soon as it was announced in June. The tour hailed the agreement, which seeks to create a new for-profit entity combining the Saudi-backed LIV Golf league with the commercial operations of the tour and the DP World Tour, formerly the European Tour, as a step forward for a divided sport.

But players had, at most, hours of warning about the deal.

Instead, Monahan and two independent board members, James J. Dunne III and Edward D. Herlihy, handled the talks with the wealth fund on the tour’s behalf without informing other board members. A handful of players, including board members like McIlroy, were told of the agreement shortly before it was announced. Most of the rest of the tour’s players found out about it when it became public.

Time did not diminish their misgivings.

“We still don’t really have a lot of clarity as to what’s going on, and that’s a bit worrisome,” Scheffler, the world’s top-ranked player and a golfer normally eager to stay out of the tour’s internal politics, said last month. “They keep saying it’s a player-run organization, and we don’t really have the information that we need.”

In recent weeks, according to a person with knowledge of the deliberations, players have spoken privately about the changes they would want to see from the tour to which they had remained loyal. Monday’s letter to Monahan reflected those conversations, and Monahan swiftly agreed.

The commissioner and his tour have been the targets of ferocious criticism, in part because an agreement with the Saudis had seemed so improbable after a year marked by acrimony.

In 2022, LIV began poaching top tour players, including Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, starting an all-out war for the future of golf. Players sued the PGA Tour, saying it had illegally discouraged players from joining LIV, and the tour countersued. The tour also highlighted Saudi Arabia’s human rights record at every turn, with Monahan memorably asking on national television, “Have you ever had to apologize for being a member of the PGA Tour?”

The tentative agreement ended the litigation between the parties, but otherwise lacked many substantive binding commitments . That hasn’t halted the intense questioning about how the tour’s campaign against the Saudis so quickly morphed into an embrace that leaves the wealth fund poised to hold enormous sway over golf.

Lawmakers in both the House and Senate are targeting the tour’s tax-exempt status, and tour leaders went before a congressional subcommittee last month to answer questions about the agreement. The Department of Justice is scrutinizing whether the tour violated antitrust law, scrutiny that has already scuttled one part of the deal.

But the players have always been among the biggest roadblocks to a final agreement. When LIV offered exorbitant sums to players to defect — LIV’s chief executive, Greg Norman, has said that Woods turned down north of $700 million — many decided to stick with the tour. They spoke with disdain for LIV’s team golf concept, its weaker fields and even the length of its events, and joined the chorus accusing Saudi Arabia of using golf to burnish its image.

Then came the agreement and, soon, the uprising.

The tour said last week that Neville, the banker, would advise the players on a potential deal and that they would have a say in choosing a new independent board member to replace Randall Stephenson, the former AT&T chairman who resigned because of misgivings over the board’s lack of oversight of a major decision. The tour also said it was devising a “financially significant” plan to compensate players who did not take LIV’s money, and it signaled again that LIV players who want to return to the tour were likely to face penalties.

Monday brought a new set of demands and swift acquiescence from tour leaders.

A board seat for Woods is no guarantee of player unanimity, however. What the richest and best known players in the world want out of a final agreement could differ from what the fringe tour professionals, who are far more numerous, desire.

Woods, who won his 15th major championship in 2019 but has rarely played since because of major injuries, has declined to join LIV and bitterly criticized its style of play, but his views on a potential agreement with the investment fund are unknown. He has not said anything publicly about the tentative agreement, and his agent, Mark Steinberg, has not responded to multiple requests for comment.

No current player, though, commands as much public influence as Woods — just as no current player has as much private power as he does. Even during his convalescence, Woods has remained in close touch with some tour golfers, many of whom attribute the circuit’s financial success and contemporary popularity almost entirely to Woods.

“When Tiger speaks, his voice is very loud,” Gary Woodland, a U.S. Open winner who turned professional in 2007, said in an interview in June.

The players believe that Woods’s arrival on the board, which also includes the P.G.A. of America’s president, will do much to reassure the particularly restive ones in their ranks, some of whom have lately considered potential paths to challenge the tentative agreement with the wealth fund.

Players are expected to meet with Monahan next week, when the tour will hold an event in Memphis.

Kevin Draper is an investigative reporter on the Sports desk, where he has written about workplace harassment and discrimination, sexual misconduct, doping, league investigations and high-profile court cases. More about Kevin Draper

Alan Blinder is a sports reporter. He has reported from more than 30 states, as well as Asia and Europe, since he joined The Times in 2013. More about Alan Blinder

Lauren Hirsch joined The Times from CNBC in 2020, covering deals and the biggest stories on Wall Street. More about Lauren Hirsch

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Webb Simpson offers to resign from PGA Tour board. But only if McIlroy replaces him, AP source says

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, watches his tee shot on the sixth hole during the second round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament, Friday, April 19, 2024, in Hilton Head Island, S.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, reacts after missing a putt on the first hole during the third round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament, Saturday, April 20, 2024, in Hilton Head Island, S.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Jordan Spieth lines up a putt on the second hole during the first round at the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club Thursday, April 11, 2024, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Patrick Cantlay waves after making a putt on the fifth hole during the second round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament, Friday, April 19, 2024, in Hilton Head Island, S.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

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A plan is in place for Rory McIlroy to rejoin the PGA Tour board, a move that would require the board’s approval and could be viewed as a chance to help to improve stalled negotiations with the Saudi financial backers of LIV Golf.

McIlroy resigned from the board in November , saying he felt he could no longer commit the time and energy required with the PGA Tour trying to finalize an agreement with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia.

The deal with PIF was not finalized, and the PGA Tour instead took on Strategic Sports Group as a minority investor in a deal that could be worth as much as $3 billion.

Webb Simpson, one of the six player directors on the PGA Tour board and PGA Tour Enterprises board, has submitted a letter saying that he wants to resign as a player director but only if McIlroy replaces him, according to a person who has seen the letter.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the letter was not made public. The board is expected to discuss Simpson’s request as early as Wednesday.

PGA Tour Enterprises is the new commercial entity, though six players serve on both boards.

McIlroy’s resignation in November required the other five player directors — Simpson, Tiger Woods, Patrick Cantlay, Adam Scott and Peter Malnati — to elect a player to serve out the term through 2024. They chose Jordan Spieth.

Some of those players have been at odds with McIlroy over the last few months because the four-time major champion has changed his tune about LIV Golf and has suggested LIV players be allowed to return to the PGA Tour without penalty.

Spieth and McIlroy disagreed in February over Spieth’s comments that a deal with PIF was not needed because of the SSG investment, although it would help with unification.

The Simpson case, however, is different. He has not resigned from the board. The person said Simpson’s letter said he would resign if McIlroy could replace him; otherwise, he would stay on the boards.

The person said Simpson indicated the board currently does not have a European player — five are Americans and Scott is Australian.

SSG in a consortium of American sports owners, led by the Fenway Group, and McIlroy has an affiliation with Fenway through the new TGL team league due to start play in January.

The Guardian, which first reported McIlroy’s potential move back to the board , also noted McIlroy has a good relationship with Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the PIF governor.

Al-Rumayyan met with the player directors — he even played nine holes with Woods — in the Bahamas a week after The Players Championship last month. Spieth described that meeting as a chance to talk while figuring out the next step.

There have been no reports of progress since then.

A London financial newspaper, City A.M., reported last week that LIV had offered McIlroy $850 million to join, based on sources it did not identify. McIlroy quickly shot down those rumors and said he would play the PGA Tour “for the rest of my career.” But he also reiterated his hopes that golf could be unified again outside the four majors.

“The game is better when we’re all together,” he said last week at the RBC Heritage.

The hurdle for any kind of a deal has been how to unify the game. Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau and Dustin Johnson are among players who signed bonuses said to be worth upward of $100 million that led to the divide.

McIlroy said last month at The Players Championship that Al-Rumayyan “wants to do the right thing” for all of golf and that LIV Commissioner Greg Norman and others have done the PIF leader a disservice.

“So the closer that we can get to Yasir, PIF and hopefully finalize that investment, I think that will be a really good thing,” McIlroy said.

SSG’s initial investment of $1.5 billion is for a first-of-its-kind equity ownership program. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said in a February memo that $750 million in aggregate equity would be granted to 36 players based on career performance, last five-year performance and Player Impact Program results.

Those players are to learn details of how much they receive this week.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

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Tiger Woods, TGL unveil Jupiter Links Golf Club roster sure to entertain

Tiger Woods announced the three other members of his TGL team, Jupiter Links Golf Club. Play will commence in January 2025.

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Share All sharing options for: Tiger Woods, TGL unveil Jupiter Links Golf Club roster sure to entertain

Tiger Woods has announced who will join him on his TGL team, Jupiter Links Golf Club.

Max Homa , Tom Kim, and Kevin Kisner —all fan-favorites—will accompany Woods in January 2025 for the inaugural TGL season .

“Now that we have finalized our roster with a team of world-class golfers, I am even more confident that this group will proudly represent the Jupiter area and connect with our fans for years to come,” Woods said in a statement.

Fresh off a solid performance at The Masters , Homa is a six-time PGA Tour winner, which includes a victory at the 2021 Genesis Invitational—the event Woods hosts annually.

Homa and Woods recently played alongside each other during the first two rounds at Augusta National .

Homa was also the lone bright spot for the Americans at last year’s Ryder Cup , posting a 3-1-1 record.

His infectious personality and witty humor will surely delight TGL fans, too.

“Following Tiger’s career is one of the main reasons I became an avid golfer,” Homa said.

“It’s really exciting to call Tiger, Tom, and Kevin teammates. Thanks to TGL, I’ll be able to play with some of the best golfers in the world and bring this unique and exciting format to golf while also finding ways to connect with one of the best golf markets in the country in South Florida.”

Kim, meanwhile, is the youngest player on the roster at 21 years old. A rising star on tour, Kim, who hails from South Korea, already has three career victories to his name. He also won a pair of matches at the 2022 Presidents Cup for the International Team.

“I grew up inspired by Tiger Woods, but Max and Kevin are two of my favorite guys out on Tour,” Kim said.

We are Jupiter Links Golf Club pic.twitter.com/aYYCMudpFo — Jupiter Links Golf Club (@JupiterLinksGC) April 22, 2024

“It will be incredible to join these guys as teammates. To talk strategy with Tiger in a true competition is something I never dreamed could happen.”

Rounding out the team will be a seasoned veteran and part-time broadcaster.

Kisner has four PGA Tour victories and has competed in the Presidents Cup for the United States on two occasions, in 2017 and 2022. He began broadcasting tournaments for NBC Sports this year, and his work has been applauded far and wide. His witty sense of humor and knowledgeable insight have been welcomed by fans and will surely be embraced on TGL.

“Having the opportunity to compete against and alongside the GOAT has been one of the things I’ll remember most at the end of my career,” the 40-year-old Kisner said.

“While I know we will have a lot of fun as a team with me, Tiger, Max, and Tom, I also know when Tiger’s competitive fire kicks in, we are going to be ready to play and win.”

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.

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Tiger Woods rounds out Jupiter Links Golf Club TGL team with Max Homa, Tom Kim, Kevin Kisner

Tiger Woods will be competing on Jupiter Links Golf Club. (Warren Little/Getty Images)

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The roster for Tiger Woods' TGL team has been announced, and Woods has rounded out his team with one of the game's rising stars, one of its most popular players and one of its wittiest. Tom Kim, Max Homa and Kevin Kisner will be joining Woods on his Jupiter Links GC team when the tech-infused golf league kicks off next year.

“I have already shared my excitement and optimism for TGL as a league and product,” Woods, who is part owner of Jupiter Links Golf Club and co-founder of TMRW Sports, said in a release. “Now that we have finalized our roster with a team of world-class golfers, I am even more confident that this group will proudly represent the Jupiter area and connect with our fans for years to come.”

In Homa, Woods has a fellow Southern California native on the roster. The two shared the stage when Homa won The Genesis Invitational hosted by Woods, and they were paired together at the 2022 Open Championship at St. Andrews and this year’s Masters Tournament. Homa has credited Woods for inspiring him to become a professional golfer, dating back to when Homa watched Woods play the 1998 Genesis in Homa’s hometown of Valencia, California.

“Following Tiger’s career is one of the main reasons that I became an avid golfer,” Homa said. “I remember watching him win the 1997 Masters, and now getting to play alongside him has been amazing.”

Kim has been winning PGA TOUR events at a pace not seen since Woods. The 21-year-old already owns three PGA TOUR titles. When he won his second at the 2022 Shriners Children’s Open, Kim became the first player since Woods to win multiple PGA TOUR titles before turning 21.

Kisner is a four-time PGA TOUR winner and two-time Presidents Cup participant who brings another veteran presence to the team. Known for his sardonic wit, Kisner has made a foray into broadcasting with NBC Sports this year and will surely add another element to the inter-team banter that will be part of TGL competition.

“I feel very privileged to have played in the Tiger Era,” Kisner said in a statement. “Having the opportunity to compete against and alongside the GOAT has been one of the things I’ll remember most at the end of my career.

“While I know we will have a lot of fun as a team with me, Tiger, Max and Tom, I also know when Tiger’s competitive fire kicks in, we are going to be ready to play and win. This is the perfect team to bring both fun and competition together at the same time. Can’t wait.”

The logo of the newly announced Jupiter Links Golf Club. (Jupiter Links Golf Club/X)

The Jupiter Links Golf Club logo incorporates the classic "Palm Flag" of Jupiter and features a hybrid golf pin flag and palm tree. The palm branches of the tree represent the red sun on the horizon, while the three sections of the pin represent the three competing golfers at each TGL match. The handwritten font is an ode to Woods' signature.

Tiger Woods to get $100 million in equity for staying with PGA, Rory McIlroy receiving $50 million: report

It turns out that staying loyal to the PGA Tour did, in fact, pay off for golf's two biggest stars.

Tiger Woods and Rory Mcilroy will reportedly each receive a hefty payday after sticking with the Tour, rather than defecting to LIV.

The 15-time major champion will receive $100 million, while McIlroy will bring in $50 million, via the newly-created for-profit PGA Tour Enterprises.

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The Telegraph reported that around $750 million of equity will be divvied up between 36 "superstars" who are the "most deserving." Another $250 million will be split up between roughly 160 other golfers.

The money is not being given in a lump sum, the outlet states.

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"After four years, 50% of their equity will be vested, with another 25% two years later and the remaining amount two years after that," The Telegraph reported. "They will also have to fall in line with the rules, which as well as not decamping, involve meeting the minimum requirements for Tour membership and, if not, providing services such as sponsors meets and media appearances."

Rumors swirled that McIlroy was offered, and was considering, a $850 million deal to join LIV , but he squashed such speculation.

"I’ve never been offered a number from LIV, and I’ve never contemplated going to LIV," McIlroy told Golf Channel's Todd Lewis ahead of the 2024 RBC Heritage last Tuesday. "I think I’ve made it clear over the past two years that I don’t think that it's something for me. Doesn’t mean that I judge people that have went and played over there.

"I think one of the things I've realized over the past two years is that people can make their own decisions for whatever they think is best for themselves, and who are we to judge them for that? But, personally for me, my future is here on the PGA Tour, and it's never been any different." 

McIlroy said Tuesday he is interested in returning to the PGA Tour Policy Board after resigning in November.

Woods recently shot his worst-ever score at Augusta National at The Masters earlier this month with his third-round 82.

Fox News' Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.

Follow Fox News Digital’s  sports coverage on X , and subscribe to  the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter .

Original article source: Tiger Woods to get $100 million in equity for staying with PGA, Rory McIlroy receiving $50 million: report

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Tour Confidential: U.S. Ryder Cup captain, PGA Tour payouts, Zurich format

Will Tiger Woods be the next U.S. Ryder Cup captain?

Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Check in  every week  for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in the sport, and join the conversation by tweeting us at  @golf_com . This week, we discuss the U.S. Ryder Cup captain search, the PGA Tour’s equity payouts, the Zurich Classic format and more.

1. As GOLF’s Sean Zak wrote last week , the PGA of America is about three months behind its usual schedule of announcing the next U.S. Ryder Cup captain. Any reason there might be a holdup, and do you anticipate the announcement coming at the PGA Championship in a couple of weeks? And, lastly, any chance it’s anybody but Tiger Woods?

The Ryder Cup is behind schedule in more ways than one | Tuesday Takes

Josh Berhow, managing editor ( @Josh_Berhow ): I would assume the captain has been picked by now — or knows it’s about to become official — so he’s had the ability to start looking ahead to Bethpage. That said, if that’s not the case, then I have no clue what’s going on. But from everything you read and hear it’s Tiger’s job if he wants it; although that could also be a part of the delay. Is he deciding if he wants the gig? You know he’d rather play, but being a captain in Ireland (in 2027) might not be as fun as a home game. And sitting out until 2029 at Hazeltine is a long wait.

Jessica Marksbury, senior editor ( @jess_marksbury ): I like that take, Josh. The delay must have something to do with Tiger, and a looming decision one way or the other. Maybe he doesn’t want the gig, and now there’s a mad scramble to find a replacement. He does seem to have a lot going on in the coming months and years, with the PGA Tour policy board, TGL launch, and oh yeah, his own competitive schedule. A captaincy is a lot to take on, let alone a home game at Bethpage, of all places. But the PGA Championship is certainly a perfect time to amplify whatever decision is made. 

Josh Sens, senior writer ( @joshsens ) : I agree that the lag is most likely on account of waiting for Tiger, the Hamlet of the PGA Tour. The man takes his time with his decisions. But I’d be shocked if he doesn’t take the job. A perfect man for the role, and he can take a cart!

2. Speaking of the Ryder Cup, DP World Tour CEO Guy Kinnings met with the media last week and reiterated that European players who bolted to LIV — like Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton — can still qualify for the 2025 Ryder Cup as long as they play enough events to qualify for league membership before being selected. You can learn more about it here, but in short it means these players have a path, although it requires some effort and more DP World Tour starts during LIV Golf’s off-weeks. What are the chances Rahm, Hatton and other Ryder Cup hopefuls go this route?

Jon Rahm can still play Ryder Cup if he does 1 thing

Berhow: We’ll know soon enough, when one of those potential windows opens and we’ll see if any of those players enter. I think they will, especially Rahm. It’s a little extra work and travel, sure, but these guys don’t play in the middle row of a discount airline. This would be good for the Ryder Cup, too. Specifically referring to Rahm and Hatton, they bring a ton of fire to the event.

Marksbury: I can’t imagine why any European LIV player who wants to be a part of the Ryder Cup wouldn’t take this opportunity. Yeah, it’s a bit of a time and travel commitment, but it’s also additional reps for the players in full-field tournaments, not to mention a potential high-profile boost for the existing field. Seems like a win-win.

Sens: Sure, it takes some effort. But as Josh says, it’s hardly the heaviest of lifts. We will see both Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton on the European team in 2025. Bank it. The powers that be have made it relatively easy for them without having to lose too much face. And since Rahm and Hatton have both made it clear how much they love the event, it’s hard to see them not taking advantage of the window.

3. In an effort to reward pros who stayed loyal to the PGA Tour and didn’t leave for LIV Golf, the newly formed PGA Tour Enterprises created a Player Equity Program to compensate its membership in aggregate equity. Emails were sent out last week, informing some of the 193 eligible players how much they would receive out of the $930 million (although $750 million would go to a group of 36 players; learn more about the breakdown here ). While these numbers were not made public, The Telegraph reported Tiger was set to receive $100 million in equity, and McIlroy as much as $50 million. Is this enough to make the stars happy?

How much is PGA Tour loyalty actually worth? Pros find out this week

Berhow: Probably. But let’s just hope these two sides get a deal done sooner rather than later. The sport needs it, not more news about rich golfers making more millions cause they might have turned down a previous offer to become richer.

Marksbury: I’m not sure that many Tour players initially stayed because they expected some kind of future equity payment as compensation, but for the players who did end up receiving a check, I’m sure it’s very welcome. Still, for players like Tiger and Rory, I imagine it’s far, far less than what they would have commanded from LIV. The players who stayed did so for reasons other than money, I think.

Sens: I dunno. Clearly, for some people, no amount of money is enough. I figure these guys are probably satisfied with this particular exchange. The more important question in the long run is, how happy are fans with the product the pro game is putting out? Maybe they should dole out some ‘loyalty’ money to folks at home to ensure that they keep tuning in.

4. Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry won the Zurich Classic , beating Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer on the first playoff hole. McIlroy and Lowry, who decided to play the event on a whim, entered the week with 26 combined PGA Tour wins and five major titles, while Ramey and Trainer had won just once each. At the Zurich, qualified pros can pick any partner as long as they are a PGA Tour member. Does this straightforward format of coming up with teams make the Zurich imperfect, or perfect?

Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry win Zurich Classic in playoff

Berhow: At first glance it seems imperfect, as you might assume the powerhouse teams always win when you can just pick your partner and guys like Rory and Shane can team up, but that hasn’t been the case. Sure, Cantlay and Xander enter every year, but they have only won once. Ryan Palmer asked Jon Rahm to play once and they won in 2019 — smart move by Palmer — but you also have a tournament like last year, when Nick Hardy and Davis Riley won. Even Cam Smith won twice before he really became Cam Smith. In short, these guys are all good, and they can all win on any given week, especially with a unique format like this that tests your strategy and teamwork. So I’m going to call it perfect.

Marksbury: Great point, Josh. I’m torn on this one. As fun as it is to see Tour buddies chumming it up, I can’t help but think a blind draw could really spice things up. To your point, all these guys are good. Some unexpected pairings — for the players, and the viewers! — would be really fun.

Sens: I like it. It allows for some entertaining twists, including brothers (the Hojgaards) playing together, and senior citizens like Russ Cochran getting in as the father of his partner’s caddie. You wouldn’t want this kind of thing week in and week out. But it’s a fun break from the same old, as is the four-ball, foursomes format.

5. Let’s close with some indoor golf. Woods announced Max Homa, Tom Kim and Kevin Kisner will join his TGL team, Jupiter Links Golf Club, which will debut in 2025. What are your thoughts on Woods’ roster?

Tiger Woods unveils his 4-player TGL roster (with 1 intriguing theme)

Berhow: As I wrote last week, it seems like a selection of guys who are both A) good at golf; and B) should be good on TV. Kisner isn’t as competitive as the other three right now, but watching this isn’t just about these guys going low in simulator golf. It’s just as important to carry it with fun conversation, jabs, jokes and good stories. Kisner will be super valuable there.

Marksbury: I agree. This is a team with some serious personality, destined to be a league favorite regardless of how they perform. I’m looking forward to seeing the dynamic in real-time.

Sens: Right. It’s all about personalities. You need that in televised goofy golf. Whether those personalities will be enough to make indoor golf of this kind interesting… that’s another question. We’ll see.

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Great learning experience for Tiger Woods' son, Charlie, in first U.S. Open qualifier | D'Angelo

PORT ST. LUCIE — Charlie Woods pumped his fists and looked relieved as his 15-foot birdie putt disappeared into the cup at the fifth hole Thursday at the Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.

Woods, the son of the most famous golfer on the planet, was rewarded for his first birdie of the day by having a sandwich wrapped in aluminum foil tossed at him by a family representative as he was walking off the green.

That sandwich was gone by the time Charlie stepped on the sixth box. What else would you expect from a hungry 15-year-old? Unfortunately, the fifth hole — and the sandwich — were the highlights of Charlie's day.

Charlie finished his first attempt to advance in a U.S. Open qualifier with a 9-over 81. Tiger's son is forging his own identity at such a young age — witness the group of about 20 people, many with iPhones rolling, standing by the range when Charlie was warming up at 8 a.m.; and about 100 fans at the first tee when he teed off for a qualifier where he carded three double bogeys, four bogeys and that birdie.

After Charlie hit his second shot on the par-5 second hole into the lake and while he was crouching down with his hands on his head, a women was heard saying, "Poor kid, I've been there."

It almost got worse on his next shot. After taking a penalty, his shot landed short of the green and rolled back toward the water. If not for the seasonal drought, he would have had consecutive water balls. He did, though, card his first double bogey.

Yet, through it all, after swinging his putter in frustration at an off-line birdie putt on No. 9, and after uttering something about "worst round" to his caddie, fellow Benjamin School golfer Luke Wise, following a wayward approach shot on 14, Charlie's demeanor never changed as he walked the fairways of this 7,023-yard course.

Tiger's son shows remarkable poise in the spotlight

For a teenager living his life in a fishbowl as Tiger's son, despite Tiger protecting his young as much as possible, Charlie has shown remarkable poise in these spotlight situations. Whether it's helping The Benjamin School win a state title, teaming with his dad at the PNC Championship in Orlando, entering the Cognizant Classic pre-qualifier or looking to beat his father into a major by four years, Charlie is starting to draw crowds.

And it's not easy when he has to be trailed by extra security beyond the muscular dude working for the family Thursday with the "don't mess with me" vibe. For this event, the United States Golf Association worked closely with Legacy for about a month to make sure there was no repeat of two months ago, when a few over-anxious fans became the story during Charlie's round in the pre-qualifying event for Cognizant.

Charlie's group was guarded by two carts manned by USGA security, volunteers at every hole and that one guy who probably provided as much protection as all the others combined.

"We've been preparing intensely the last four weeks," Legacy general manager Adam Horvit said. "But we started preparing the golf course and security and parameters about four or five months ago."

The closest any of them got to having to break a sweat was when Muscle Man had to warn a few innocent stragglers to get back on their golf cart. Everyone got the message, certainly assuming his bite was worse than his bark.

This was on the second hole. Those who got up early to watch Charlie certainly hoped for a Tiger sighting. But Dad decided not to attend, just like Charlie's pre-qualifier for Cognizant.

The round was so chill, the gallery so behaved and supportive, one USGA official described his job as "herding sheep."

Meanwhile, Charlie continues to gain experience in these qualifiers. Next up will be qualifying rounds for the 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur Golf Championship and the 2024 U.S. Amateur Golf Championship, both this summer.

More: Exclusive: Tiger Woods talks TGL with Palm Beach Post: 'I couldn’t be more excited for January'

Earning spot in U.S. Open longest of long shots

Of course, ultimately landing a spot in the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst in June was the longest of long shots. Of the 10,084 entries in 109 local qualifiers that lead to 13 36-hole qualifiers, about 80 eventually will be teeing it up in the same tournament as Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka , Jon Rahm and the rest.

The closest Charlie came to a hot streak was a stretch of four straight pars from the seventh to 10th holes. His score was 12 shots behind winner Michael Buttacavoli (69), of Miami Beach. Buttacavoli and four others advanced to the next qualifier.

Charlie did a nice job finding the fairways, hitting nine of 14 while rarely pulling out his driver. His biggest issue was his approach shots with eight greens in regulation.

But at 15, Charlie has many more qualifiers in his future. Nothing but good things can come from those experiences, regardless of the scores.

Tom D'Angelo is a senior sports columnist and golf writer for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at [email protected].