Golf legend Tiger Woods and his team Jupiter Links GC compete in their first match at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025.
- Tiger Woods will not attend the PNC Championship with his son Charlie for the first time since his debut in 2020.
- Woods is recovering from disc replacement surgery and has recently become free from chip and putts.
Speaking before the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, Woods made his first public comments since disc replacement surgery on October 10 and Achilles tendon surgery in March. He talked about a number of topics, including his availability for the TGL season, which begins on December 28.
The 15-time major champion started by giving an update on his health when asked how his recovery was going.
“It’s not as fast as I would like,” the Jupiter Island resident said. “It was a good thing to do something that needed to happen. The rehabilitation process just requires some time and dedication.”
Woods, who will turn 50 on Dec. 30, was recently cleared to chip and putt. He said it would not be fair to Charlie or any other team that may enter PNC to compete for a spot in the event to be held in Orlando on Dec. 20-21.
He said, “Not only would it not be fair to my son but it also wouldn’t be fair to another team that can play and has the experience that we have had over the years.”
Charlie Woods, No. 9 in the American Junior Golf Association rankings, capped off a strong year by leading the Benjamin boys golf team to the Class 1A state championship in November.
Woods gave no timeline for his return to competitive golf, including a second season of the TGL, the indoor, high-tech golf league co-founded by Woods and Rory McIlroy and played at Palm Beach Gardens; And the possibility of playing on the Tour Champions. He will be eligible for this for the first time after turning 50.
“I will miss the first half of the TGL season, but I will be there for every match at Jupiter Links,” said Woods, co-owner of Jupiter Links GC. “Hopefully, I’ll be able to play here and there at the end of the season, but I don’t know.
“I just started chipping and putting. I have to hit more shots at the TGL besides chipping and putting, there are some drives I may have to hit.”
The Jupiter Links season begins on January 13. They will also play on January 20, February 2, March 1, March 3.
Tiger Woods has said he’s drawn to the Champions Tour in the past
Woods has previously said he is open to playing on the Champions Tour for those 50 and older, but he is no closer to making that decision for 2026.
He said, “Allow me to play again, let me do this, then I will try to figure out what the program will be.” “I’m so far away from that part of it and that type of decision and that type of commitment.
“Unfortunately, I’ve gone through this rehab level before; it’s step by step. And then once I get a feel for the practice, explosion, playing, recovery process, I can assess where I’m going to play and how much I’m going to play.”
Tom D’Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.
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