Tiger Woods Gives Return Update, Shares Future Playing Plans And Talks Huge Potential PGA Tour Changes

WELCOME

Hello and welcome to Golf Monthly's coverage of Tiger Woods' pre-Hero World Challenge press conference at Albany Golf Club in The Bahamas.

The 15-time Major winner is expected to arrive at 9am ET (2pm GMT) alongside Dr. Pawan Munjal, the executive chairman of Hero MotoCorp - title sponsor of the event.

Given this is the first time Woods will have spoken publicly in several months, he is expected to address his health and all of the ramifications that extend beyond that, including whether he plans to play the PNC Championship later this month, if he intends to compete in the second season of TGL and whether or not his latest pro comeback could indeed arrive on the PGA Tour Champions once he turns 50 on December 30.

Woods is also likely to be asked about the ongoing divide in the men's pro game, where the PGA Tour stands in the current landscape and potentially something on the future schedule.

We will do our very best to bring you all of the key updates as they happen as well as a little bit of reaction once all the talking has stopped. Thanks for tuning in!

TIGER IS HERE

Woods and Dr Munjal have arrived a couple of minutes early. Woods has a light colored Sun Day Red polo and cap on and he's carrying a coffee. Early start and all that...

DR MUNJAL BEGINS

The executive chairman of Hero MotoCorp has kicked things off, describing what the tournament has done in its previous 10 editions and what it stands for more generally.

He goes on to say that the prize purse for the 2025 Hero World Challenge will be $5 million.

TIGER ON RECOVERY AND THE TOURNAMENT

"Well, it's not as fast as I'd like it to be. It was a good thing to do, something I needed to have happen and it just takes time and dedication to the rehab process.

"It's great to be back here at Albany, great to be back here hosting the Hero World Challenge, seeing some of the guys. I've only seen some of the guys so far, hopefully get out there later today and see a few more.

"To have it here again at Albany under perfect conditions, weather's supposed to be perfect the entire week. Again, look for some great scores by 20 of the best players in the world, so looking forward to it."

TIGER ON 2026 PLANS

"I'm probably going to play 25 events on both tours." Tiger's got jokes.

He says he just wants to get back playing again and he will see after that. He's still a way away from actually choosing a schedule. Been here before in this process so doesn't want to run before he can walk (literally)

WOODS ON BENEFITS TO FANS AND ECONOMICALLY OF REDUCED TOUR SCHEDULE

"Well, this is fan based. We're trying to give the fans the best product we possibly can, and if we're able to give the fans the best product we can, I think we can make the players who have equity in the Tour, we can give them more of that. So the financial windfall could be fantastic for everyone who's involved.

"The FCC's been meeting, I think we've had three different meetings, we've got one coming up here. We've torn down and looked at so many different models. It's been a lot.

"We've talked to title sponsors, we talked to CMOs, we talked to tournament directors, we talked to media partners, we've talked to a lot of different people and taken a lot in of what they would like to see.

"Then it's up to us at the committee to try to put it all together and try to make it work and keep the players informed to what possibly could happen. And we want their opinions as well.

"We're being very transparent with all of this. That's something that we've been very adamant and I've been very adamant before about this process is the transparency side of it.

"This is something that's going to be fantastic for all of the fans, for the players. As I said, it could be a financial windfall for everyone."

WOODS ON PNC CHAMPIONSHIP

"Uh-uh. No, it wouldn't be fair. Not only it wouldn't be fair to my son, but it wouldn't be fair to another team that could play and could have that experience that we've had for a number of years."

ON WHY HE WANTS TO COME BACK

"Come back to what point? I'd like to come back to just playing golf again. I haven't played golf in a long time. It's been a tough year.

"I've had a lot of things happen on and off the golf course that's been tough. And so my passion to just play, I haven't done that in a long time. Just play.

"I've had to sit on the sidelines for a number of months, and most of this year and quite frankly end of last year."

WOODS ON SCOTTIE

"Well, there's nothing you can't not like about Scottie. He's one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. What he's doing on the golf course is just incredible, the consistency day in and day out, the strategy that he... how he attacks the golf course.

"It starts from you can see him analyze it from the green back where the flag is, where he wants to miss a tee shot, what club to hit, where the wind is, what side of the tee box he's to start off on. It's truly amazing at how thoughtful he is and strategic he is throughout the entire round.

"And on top of that, he doesn't have lapses in a round like most players do. He's there present for all 18 holes and all shots played, and that's hard to do. To do that day in and day out with the gruelling schedule that the Tour has and the players are playing now in more of a condensed season, and the big events that he's playing in.

"I mean, he won six times and they're not small events. He's beating the best fields. So that's something that I certainly can appreciate, and I hope everyone else appreciates it as well because you just don't see this happen very often."

WOODS ON FUTURE SCHEDULE

"We are trying to do that in the best way possible so we can introduce this in '27. Hopefully we get there, hopefully we get to that point.

"We're working with all of our partners to create the best schedule and product to deliver all that in '27 is something we're trying to do. I don't know if we can get there, I don't know if we will get there, but that's what we're trying to do."

Q. Could you see a phased rollout where some stuff changes in '27 or do you want one fell swoop?

"That is again one of the different concepts we're looking at as well, rip the Band-Aid off, create a whole new product, do it staged.

"But this is one of the reasons why we've talked to all of our partners, why we talked to all of the CMOs, CEOS everyone who's involved in the game to get their opinion what would they like to see and it's up to us at the committee level to try and figure that out."

ON POTENTIALLY STARTING SEASON AFTER SUPER BOWL

"We're trying to figure out what is the best schedule possible so we can create the best fields and have the most viewership and also the most fan involvement and what does that look like.

"A lot of that, as you know, that's one of the reasons why we quit playing in September and October and even early November back when I was playing in my early days at the Tour Championship, there's this thing with the shield that's out there that's influential.

"Looking at different timetables of when we start and finish, different tent poles throughout the year and what that might look like.

"We have some incredibly smart player directors, some independents and some leaders that have led in change in other sports. So trying to pull all of that together with Brian's leadership and stewardship, that's what we're trying to implement all these different things.

"Again, create a product that players want to be involved in, will be involved in, they're excited to be a part of and the fans and all of our partners at all of our events and all the people that are involved in the sport, that this is a better product."

WOODS ON BRIAN ROLAPP

"Brian's been fantastic. I was part of the search committee that was part of finding him and going through all the different interviews of about nine months to finally land on Brian.

"An amazing CEO, an amazing leader. What he's done so far in a short time in his leadership skills and his personality and how he handles situations, his calmness, his thoughtfulness, his directness, transparency, all the things that we were looking for and we needed on the Tour he has delivered in spades."

WOODS ON SCARCITY AND PARITY

'Parity is something that's inherent in the game of golf because of the meritocracy of the game. It's just there, we already have parity. We play each and every week starting at zero.

"So with the parity part, it was the easiest part to figure out because it's already there. Now, the simplicity part, that's another part that you didn't say that we have to try and simplify.

"Simplify the point structure on the FedEx Cup so not only the players understand but the fans can understand it, what goes on every week, week to week, how they can follow and how we can make it better.

"And the scarcity thing is something that I know scares a lot of people, but I think that if you have scarcity at a certain level, it will be better because it will drive more eyes because there will be less time.

"But don't forget the golfing year is long. So there's other opportunities and other places around the world or other places to play that can be created and have events. So there's a scarcity side of it that's not as scary as people might think."

WOODS ON RYDER CUP CAPTAINCY

"No one has asked me about it."

Q: I'm asking you about it

"No one has asked me about it," Woods replied with tongue in cheek.

Q: Did you watch any of the [2025] Ryder Cup?

"I watched pretty much all of it and was talking to the players and the captains involved in it, everyone involved on the US side."

WOODS ON TGL

"Well, I won't be able to play in the first part of the TGL season but I will be there at every match that Jupiter Links competes in.

"Now, hopefully I will be able to maybe play at the end of the season here and there, but I don't know. I just started chipping and putting. I've got to hit more shots than just chip and putt in TGL. There's a few drives I might have to hit."

WOODS ON NEW ERA OF GOLFERS

"I would say that there's a generational change and shift that's happened. The guys that I played with when we first had the World Challenge early in the 2000s, they're all -- I'm the youngest one.

"I'm about ready to turn 50, so those guys are all on Champions Tour or even retired from the game of golf, they don't play anymore.

"There's a generational shift. The game has gotten younger, stronger and faster and bigger. It's fun to see. There are more top players at a younger age than ever before. A lot of them are now able to play and get themselves into the top-50, which then allows them to get into this event.

"Some have gotten in as high as the top-10. The game has gotten younger, it really has. When I first came out on Tour, you had to serve at least four to five years before you had the experience of playing golf courses enough times, then you have to pay your dues of losing a bunch and then ultimately winning probably in your late 20s. That model doesn't exist anymore.

"These kids come out of college ready to play or even sometimes skip college and they're ready to play even earlier. The age of the game of golf out here at the Tour level has become younger.

"I think [one of the big reasons] in my opinion, I think it's a lot has to do with YouTube, seeing swings. Before, I had VHS tapes. I would tape a weekend round of golf and then watch it on -- hoping the tracking worked halfway decent and try and get a swing. Sometimes the swings didn't even look good, I didn't even know who that was.

"Seeing so many different swings over and over again and the instruction level has gotten better, the curve it took to understand how to play the game's gotten faster.

"You didn't have to necessarily go out there and dig it out of the dirt, now you can watch it on your mobile phone and learn that way. It's gotten faster and younger. Just like all kids, they're sponges for information and they can make changes on the fly."

WOODS ON THE GENESIS

"Yeah, the impact of those fires on the entire community, the entire Pacific Palisades area was devastating. We were lucky enough to be able to have the Tour, San Diego come together, the mayor and all the municipalities in the area come together and figure it out.

"There were so many different options of where we could play, and to already have a build-out there at Farmers and to use their signage and all the camera crews there for the Genesis, it just worked out. We got very lucky.

"My staff worked countless hours, they were burnt out. We had to send a few of them home just for a couple days to see their family, and then it's 24/7 get back on it. It was all hands on deck to try to figure it all out.

"To be able to go back to Riviera CC this year under different circumstances than last year, it will be better, I think it will be celebratory. Something that is a place that's near and dear to my heart and I'm looking forward to getting back there."

WOODS ON MOTIVATION TO REP THE PGA TOUR

"Well, the PGA Tour gave me an opportunity to chase after a childhood dream. I got a chance to hit my first ball in my first PGA Tour event when I was 16 years old. I know that's what, 33 years ago, but I've been involved with the PGA Tour ever since then.

"A little kid from Cypress, California growing up on a par 3 course got a chance to play against the best players in the world and make it to World No. 1. I got a chance to be involved in a lot of different things on our Tour.

"This is a different opportunity to make an impact on the Tour. I did it with my golf clubs, I made a few putts here and there and was able to do that. Now I am able to make an impact in a different way for other generations to come.

"Not just generations that I played against, but for future generations like a 16-year-old looking for a place to play and maybe in hopes of playing PGA Tour."

THAT'S ALL, FOLKS

That's all from Woods today. Full answers will be available shortly, but the headline responses were:

- Woods is nowhere close to playing competitively again

- Only just started chipping and putting

- Will not play PNC Championship

- Will not play first half of TGL season at least

- Unsure on future schedule, including PGA Tour Champions appearances

- Has had no conversations over Ryder Cup captaincy

- Future Competitions Committee is looking at potential changes coming in as early as 2027, if ideas can be agreed by all relevant parties

- Genesis Invitational is going back to Riviera Country Club in 2026