Why 2024 could be one of Tiger’s most compelling years

Tiger Woods doesn’t owe the sport something.

He might 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 but it surely may be true.

At the same time as he slows down from a aggressive standpoint, his presence within the recreation continues to be essential. PGA Tour motion now 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 Function 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 Investment Fund in an effort to hitch forces. If the negotiation is mishandled or the ensuing partnership doesn’t mend a divided professional golf panorama, plenty of the eye Woods generated for the professional recreation over the previous 25 years might erode.

“It might be fairly simple for him to only disguise below a rock the remainder of his life and be simply advantageous,” stated fellow tour participant Justin Thomas. “However that’s not who he’s. He desires 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 provide 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 gained’t be performing alone in deciding the tour’s future however everybody will probably be listening to him. Rory McIlroy not too long ago 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 may have a essential affect is within the construction of the tour. All indicators level to skilled golf needing to develop into extra restricted to top-tier expertise, making certain the sport’s finest play towards one another extra usually. 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 business involvement within the recreation.

Now he has an opportunity to defend the home he helped construct.

2. Tiger May very well be Chosen because the Subsequent Ryder Cup Captain.

After the Individuals’ embarrassing loss to the Europeans this fall, help 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, seemingly taking his title out of captain consideration for now.

Woods is an apparent alternative. On high of his Ryder Cup taking part in expertise, he has been closely concerned as an assistant captain. He additionally captained the U.S. Presidents Cup crew 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 choose 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. crew golf. A win on house soil (the host aspect has gained 5 straight Ryder Cups) looks like a should.

Woods, for his half, is concentrated on the sport’s future in the intervening time.

“We’ve to get this carried out and now we have to be targeted on this proper now,” Woods stated 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 concentrate on.”

Nonetheless, that is Tiger’s Ryder Cup captaincy if he desires it.

“Tiger’s into plenty of stuff proper now but it surely’s sort of his name … he’s the following logical alternative,” stated 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 automotive accident got here in February 2021. He didn’t play any event golf that yr given the intense harm to his proper leg.

Woods has a mixed 5 official begins since then. Though he made the lower twice within the Masters over that interval, his finest end was a tie for forty fifth within the Genesis Invitational. He might barely stroll round Augusta Nationwide throughout final yr’s Masters and he opted for ankle fusion surgical procedure after that look.

It felt like we had been lastly seeing Woods totally transition into ceremonial golfer standing.

That will nonetheless be the case however there’s some motive for cautious optimism.

Woods regarded good strolling 72 holes on the Hero World Problem. He obtained to make use of a cart on the PNC Championship a few weeks later however he did stroll throughout the apply spherical.

The largest information is that he hopes to play much more golf subsequent yr. It might be lifelike to see him at as many as eight tournaments. It’s an enormous ask however he stated the most effective state of affairs for him could be “possibly a event a month” throughout the competitors schedule.

“If I’m capable of apply and do the issues I do know I can do and put together, I do know I can nonetheless do it,” Woods stated. “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 pondering he might 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 gained the 2000 PGA in a playoff over Bob Might. The U.S. Open is in June at Pinehurst No. 2. Woods isn’t at the moment certified for the U.S. Open—the one of the 4 majors he isn’t exempt for—but it surely’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 things is determined by how his physique feels. One or two setbacks and he might be carried out for the yr.

The query of whether or not he can nonetheless compete is an affordable one. We haven’t seen him with an opportunity to win a PGA Tour occasion since nicely earlier than LIV disrupted the golf world.

However a minimum of there’s hope he may give it a go. Golf is best with him taking part in.

4. Woods May very well be Parting Methods With NIKE.

Is that this the top 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. To this point, all now we have is these rumors. Woods didn’t make clear a lot earlier this month.

“I’m nonetheless carrying their product,” Woods stated 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 onerous 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 sneakers for the reason that 2022 Masters, citing an elevated stability with the brand new sneakers.

TaylorMade has been hinting at getting extra concerned within the attire house. A number of job postings by the model have been noticed as they give the impression of being to rent for a “new attire division.”

There’s hypothesis NIKE might depart the golf attire trade solely however they nonetheless have offers with the likes of Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Tony Finau, Brooks Koepka, Nelly Korda and Tommy Fleetwood. There are just a few TaylorMade gamers in that steady so there might be a connection there.

If Woods does half methods, will probably be a serious story. We will probably be following this one carefully.

5. TGL is Nonetheless on the Horizon.

This upcoming yr might have been a lot busier for Woods if TGL began on time.

Nevertheless, a large storm prompted 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 reside 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 world will function 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, possibly that would develop into extra accepted as “actual golf” sooner or later, particularly given the explosion of Topgolf, Puttshack and different alternate types of the sport.

Woods might do an hour of stand-up comedy and draw critical rankings. The actual fact he will probably be taking part in some model of golf, towards 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 median of 5.8 million viewers. That was the most-watched golf occasion in cable tv historical past.

TGL will probably be ignored by many but it surely has critical backers and will nonetheless achieve success.

Woods’ help 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.