Seniors Excited By Tiger Woods Talk But Big Split Over LIV Golfers

Tiger Woods is seriously considering playing on the PGA Tour Champions next season, and while he'd be a welcome addition to the senior circuit the prospect of veteran LIV Golf stars returning has the playing membership divided.

The current season comes to a climax at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship next week, but it's the 2027 campaign that's the talk of the town among the seniors with two huge topics on the agenda.

Two-time season champion Steven Alker lifted the lid on these two hot topics doing the rounds in the locker room - whether Woods will pick the senior circuit to make his latest comeback, and whether LIV Golf veterans should be allowed on the tour.

And while the entire tour is hoping Woods will bring a ton of attention on the seniors with him, opinion is very much divided on LIV golfers being welcomed back.

Talk is circulating about Woods' return to golf from his latest break away from the sport, with the 15-time Major champion and 82-time PGA Tour winner still determined to play again.

Having turned 50, the seniors could be his best option to genuinely compete and Alker says that the talk in PGA Tour Champions circles is that Woods is serious about taking up that option.

Playing just three rounds in some events and being able to use a golf cart - also playing against veterans - would give Woods a much better chance of challenging for tournaments.

And one in particular - the US Senior Open - would see Woods move ahead of Bobby Jones and claim a solo record 10th USGA title if he could lift that trophy.

"This talk, yeah, he seriously wants to come out, there's inside talking," Alker said at a Phoenix Country Club media day for the Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

"He wants to come out and play, and in particular, I think the big events, like the invitationals or Stricker's event and the Furyk event.

"He's got his buddies who really want him to do their events. You got the USGA, you got the US Senior Open. He wants to add to his tally, you know?"

The seniors have been bolstered by some big names in recent years, but Woods is the biggest name of them all and should he appear he'd take the tour into a new stratosphere.

Seniors split over LIV Golfers

There's a host of LIV golfers leaving ahead of the possible relaunch of 2.0, and a few over 50s who would no doubt relish playing on the PGA Tour Champions.

With the senior circuit losing it's PGA Tour pension payments and standing on its own, players are acutely aware that big names can bring more eyeballs and extra sponsorship dollars to the tour.

But Alker says that the membership is very much divided on the LIV subject, with questions over which players would, and should, be allowed in and whether the same suspension rules as the PGA Tour should be enforced.

"It's a Catch-22," said Alker. "We want players to keep the profile of the tour up. And then you got guys on the tour who don't want those guys at all.

"I'm not going to name names, but that has been talked about on the PAC board and that's an ongoing thing. Where do you draw the line? Who should be penalized more than some other guy? I think that's going on right now.

"Some guys have gotten six months [suspensions], some guys got a year. Do we change the rules for those guys coming out? There's a lot of talk going on right now but that's up to the player directors and our president for where that goes. But I can tell you there are talks going on. And I know it's very split."

Whichever way it goes, there's definitely a new spark about over 50s golf that could see it get a huge bump next year with some possible big LIV names and a golfing icon appearing on the tour.