DOUG FERGUSON Associated Press
Tiger Woods seemed more optimistic about playing golf next year than about finalizing a PGA Tour deal with Saudi Arabia or private investors by the end of the year.
Woods spoke to reporters Tuesday for the first time in nearly eight months, and so much has happened since: fusion surgery on his right ankle that kept him from playing golf, the shocking deal PGA Tour with LIV Golf backers and his decision to join. on the PGA Tour Board of Directors for the first time in his career.
He’s competing in the Hero World Challenge, his vacation event in the Bahamas for 20 top players. Woods said his ankle — but not the rest of his body — was not sore and even suggested he hoped to be able to play once a month next year, starting with the Genesis Invitational at Riviera.
Woods has been very outspoken about his frustration that he and other players were blindsided by secret negotiations by PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and two prominent board members that led to the agreement announced on June 6 with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia.
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“We were very frustrated by what happened and we took steps to ensure that player involvement… we weren’t going to be excluded from the process like we were,” he said. he declares. “So part of that process was putting myself on the board and accepting that position. »
He also expressed his confidence in Monahan as one of the reasons he agreed to join the board, “what he can do in the future and what can’t happen again.”
He was much vaguer on details, which is not surprising since board negotiations are private. Woods said there are only options, there are a lot of moving parts and all parties are working aggressively to finalize a deal.
“All parties are talking and we are actively working to try to reach an agreement,” he said. “We’re all trying to make sure the process is better, too.” So the implementation of governance is one of the main topics (with) the conclusion of the agreement, but you also have to make sure that it is done in the right way.”
The agreement for a for-profit commercial venture was reached with the PIF and the European tour. Today, five private equity groups want to get involved, such as Fenway Sports Group and Friends of Golf, a group that includes Henry Kravis and George Roberts.
The deal announced in June set a deadline of December 31 to be finalized, although there was a clause that it could be extended.
“I’m confident a deal will be reached one way or another,” Woods said. “Whether it takes place on December 31 or is pushed back, all parties understand that we are working together.”
Topics include a fair path back to the tour for LIV players who want to return, and the place of team golf. He said the future looked just as bleak to those working on the deal as it might to those outside. .
Tiger Woods lines up a putt on the 16th hole during the weather-delayed second round of the 2023 Mastersat Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.
AP file photo
“There are a lot of things that are changing in the way we’re going to play, whether it’s here on the PGA Tour, or whether it’s a merger or team golf,” he said. “There are a lot of different aspects that are being talked about at the same time and we are trying to understand all of this and what is the best solution for all parties and the best solution for all the players involved.
Among the moving parts is his ankle, which seems to move just fine. Woods said it was a matter of time before he needed an ankle replacement or a fusion, and he chose the latter in April, weeks after being selected at the Masters, but he then withdrew.
“I don’t have any pain in my ankle like I had with the equipment placed in my foot. That’s all gone,” Woods said. “The other parts of my body, my knee hurts, my back. The forces are going elsewhere. Just like when I had my back fused, the forces have to go somewhere. So it’s at the top of the chain.
He said he was “just as curious as all of you” about how he would play against a field of 20 players in the Bahamas, although he said going 90 holes (including the pro-am) wouldn’t be a problem.
Woods has said for years that his schedule would be significantly reduced due to the large number of surgeries. He seemed much more optimistic looking ahead to 2024, suggesting an ideal scenario of once a month, although not knowing whether this is realistic.
Such a schedule could include Riviera in February, the Players Championship in March and major tournaments in April, May, June and July.
“This week is a big step in that direction,” he said.
The other branch is working toward a finalized agreement by the end of the year, or shortly thereafter. Woods is also considered a top candidate to become the next U.S. Ryder Cup captain for Bethpage Black in 2025. He said his time is dedicated to board duties and he is not still willing to have ideas about the Ryder Cup.
