There aren’t many opportunities to speak with Tiger Woods. Withdrawn from competitive circulation due to his latest back surgery, you have to wait for a special occasion to have him in front of a microphone and willing to answer all questions. Today was one of those days in the lead-up to the Hero World Challenge, a tournament where, although he isn’t playing this year because his health doesn’t allow it, his foundation is actively involved. It really is his tournament.
The two most important topics he addressed, beyond his health, were the negotiation between the PGA Tour and the PIF and the news suggesting that American players will be paid for playing in the Ryder Cup. It’s fair to say the disappointment in the first aspect is absolute. Another day with the same. It’s like Groundhog Day.
“Everyone involved in this process thought it would happen faster. Even if we had closed a deal, we would still be in the hands of the United States Department of Justice. Of course, we would have liked something more concrete and advanced, but the conversations are very fluid, we are working. Things are moving and are constructive,” Tiger assured today in the Bahamas. The same as in recent months. Work is being done, progress is being made, but no details on the main lines of what the agreement could be. “I think something will be done, but I don’t know in what form,” he points out.
Tiger only commented that the work being done and the future golf he envisions is in line with what fans have expressed in various surveys conducted. “We asked the fans about what we should do to improve their experience, how they want to see golf and how they can participate in it. We are trying to activate all that, get it going in 2025 in some way and adjust as we go in the following years, as well as in the negotiations for the new television contract. We are moving as we go to try to give everyone the best product, as well as provide golf with the peace it needs. These have been very difficult times for golf.” As you can see, statements of intent, but no concreteness. Nothing new under the sun.
Regarding the possibility that the DP World Tour and the PIF are negotiating in parallel, Tiger didn’t add much. “This is an active negotiation and things are happening daily, weekly and it’s evolving. We all want to get past this and do what’s best for the Tour. There will be things that are harder to fit, but in the end, we will achieve a better product for all fans and obtain the peace we desperately need.”
As for the Ryder Cup, Tiger was more specific. We refer to the matter of players being paid to play. “We already had this same conversation in ’99, in Brookline. We didn’t want to be paid, but rather to have more money given to charity work, foundations. The media turned it around and said we wanted to get paid. That’s not it. If the Ryder generates so much money why can’t we allocate some to various charitable organisations. What’s wrong with each player, 12 players, receiving a million dollars and the possibility of distributing it among charitable organisations they are involved with. It has never really been about receiving a payment, but about how we can allocate funds to help our sport or help the things we believe in. What’s wrong with being able to allocate more funds?” he explains.
It’s clear that Tiger is in favour of money reaching the players, but only if it’s to be distributed among charitable organisations. What was published this year in the United States is that from now on the idea is that the money would go into the golfer’s pocket and they would have the freedom to use it as they wish, a charitable organisation or to buy another house. “I hope they receive five million dollars each and donate it all to charity, different charities. I think it’s great. What’s wrong with that?” he concludes.
Regarding the stance of European players not to charge and even stating they would be willing to pay to play in the Ryder, Tiger essentially says that’s up to them. “That’s fine, they are within their rights to say that. If the Europeans want to pay to be in the Ryder, it’s their decision, it’s their team. I know that when it’s on European soil it serves to subsidise most of their Tour, so it’s a big event for the European Tour. If they want to pay to play in it, so be it.”
Finally, regarding the new PGA Tour tournament structure for 2026, with tournaments featuring fewer players, Tiger is in favour. “Most of the Tour agrees. The Player Council was involved, the Council’s subcommittees were involved and it was unanimous… To present a better product we have to redefine what a Tour professional is, streamline it. Yes, playing opportunities have been reduced somewhat, but we also have player actions, which never happened before. So, the players who are playing are going to be well compensated in the future, something that didn’t happen before,” he notes.
