The important cloak that Tiger Woods threw on the European Tour

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think I was going to win,” he said. Tiger Woods, former world number 1 and champion of 15 Grand Slams at a press conference in Genesis Invitationaloutside of The Angels, a tournament it holds through its foundation. An event he has yet to win, with this being his return to the greens afterwards seven months away (British Open at Saint Andrews in July 2022).

Tiger has a special relationship with this PGA Tour tournament and the golf course. Riviera Country Clubwhere it all began for him and where it could also end.

It was there, at the age of 16, while still a novice, that he made his debut on the PGA Tour, after taking his first shots as a child. It has also sponsored the event here since 2017 and where it has failed to win in thirteen participations. Also where, a few kilometers to the south, he had a serious car accident on February 23, 2021.

Leaving the club in the morning after a clinic with sponsors, he brutally left the road, his SUV flipping several times before ending up on the shoulder of a highway. He suffered several open fractures in his legs, especially the right, which gave little hope for his future career.

But two years later Woods still stands at 47 ‘tacos’. He made an unexpected return in April 2022 at the Augusta Masters, before playing the PGA Championship in May and then the 150th British Open at the ‘Cathedral’. And if he hasn’t been seen playing since then, it’s because he had to be treated for plantar fasciitis (he only played with his son Charlie last December at the PNC Championship in Florida).

Woods took advantage of the pre-Genesis press conference to talk about a variety of topics, including, of course, LIV Golf and everything that comes with this new circuit. Regarding his vision for the Arab Super League, Tiger admitted that they are trying to create the best product possible, but he is convinced that the PGA Tour comes first. And consider that most of the best players are on the PGA Tour. But it also put a nice cloak on the European Tour. “It’s been a turbulent year and we never thought golf would be in this situation, but it’s the reality, it is what it is. We’re trying to create the best possible product. We have to support our global partners like DP World Tour and in We need our best players to understand that we have to play around the world and create the best possible product,” he told reporters in the Riviera CC press room. A declaration of intent and full support from the PGA Tour for the European Tour since the LIV Golf conflict erupted.

In Riviera with 19 in the world top 20

Regarding the ‘elevated’ tournaments ($20 million in prize money and 20 tournaments per season, the first of which was last week in Phoenix, and the second in Riviera), Woods does not rule out making some adjustments for next year. “We’re trying to build the best product and we’re still figuring out how to do it. We have a lot of players lined up since the Delaware meet and we’re trying to understand all the players, we’ re trying to build the best product and we’re figuring out how to do it. I know we need to make access to these tournaments for everyone, we want to create the next stars. I was lucky to get a waiver from sponsor in 16. So is that possible with this new model? We have to create opportunities like that . I look back and I was lucky. Byron Nelson asked me to play in his tournament, Arnold Parmer asked me to play in his tournament. We don’t want the next stars to not have those opportunities,” the Californian said.

Tiger will face the PGA Tour’s current elite, starting at scottie scheffler, who reclaimed the world number one last weekend by winning the Phoenix Open. Nineteen of the 20 best players in the world, including the Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy (N.2) and the Spaniard Jon Rahm (N.3), will compete with Genesis. Only the Australian will clearly miss the appointment Cameron Smith (N.4)enrolled since the summer in the Super League.

Woods’ ambition is to become the most decorated player in USPGA history, sharing the record for wins (82) with Sam Snead since 2019 and a win at the Zozo Championship. And he knows that the chances of doing so will be slim. “Do I want to play more? Yes. Can I? I don’t know. I won’t play a full season, so I have to pick my tournaments. It’s the Majors and maybe one or two others. I have to be realistic… But I’m going to put all my energy in those events,” he concluded.