While the community grows anxious about the PGA Tour’s radical new direction for the coming years, the man behind the plan, Tiger Woods, remains completely unfazed. His words at the Genesis Invitational show that.
“We’re trying to create the right competitive model and the environment to foster that,” he told the media. “What do we need to do from a competitive model to make our Tour the best product it can possibly be each and every year and still have room for development?”
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Woods mentioned that he has spent a lot of hours getting better in his prime, but it doesn’t even come close to the hours he has spent in the boardroom. The current proposal suggests the Hawaii events would be dropping off the schedule, and the season would not start until February after the Super Bowl to avoid going head-to-head with the NFL.
Just last week, the Players Championship executive director spoke to Front Office Sports and hinted that the Tour would like to play more tournaments in the largest U.S. markets and that starting the season big and owning the summer are among the top priorities for CEO Brian Rolapp.
Woods also explained how the concept of scarcity works with the PGA Tour.
“We’re going to get more top players playing, and we’re going to make it more competitive. We’ll have fewer cards, so that in itself is going to make it more competitive just to be out here,” Woods suggested. “We’re trying to create opportunities for that turnover coming from the PGA Tour U or the Korn Ferry and trying to get more youth out here because eventually they’re going to take over the game. So, trying to create that opportunity, trying to create the right competitive model and the environment to foster that—that’s been the greater challenge of it all.”
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Those changes would have real consequences for players lower down the ladder. With fewer events and smaller fields, there will be fewer opportunities for mid-tier members to play, making it harder for them to retain their Tour cards and lessening the stability of the FedEx Cup standings.
As chairman of the PGA Tour’s Future Competition Committee, Woods made his position clear. The backlash, though, has been real and vocal. Veterans James Hahn and Robert Garrigus publicly questioned why the ninth Signature Event at Trump National Doral was added and even called it a joke. Victor Perez went further, leaving for LIV Golf this winter and citing constant change as his breaking point.
Woods isn’t dismissing those concerns; he’s reframing them. He pointed to Koepka’s return, Patrick Reed’s recommitment, Scottie Scheffler’s dominance, and Rory McIlroy’s completion of the Career Grand Slam as proof that the Tour’s pulling power is firmly back.
Well, he isn’t alone in this. The Future Competition Committee includes Patrick Cantlay, Adam Scott, Camilo Villegas, Maverick McNealy, and Keith Mitchell, a genuine cross-section of the membership. Sponsors are moving in the same direction, too.
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Genesis CEO Jose Munoz, whose company just extended through 2030, made his position clear.
“We are all discussing how we can make this better, and as Tiger mentioned, it needs to be good for everybody—for them, for the sponsors, for the customers, and mainly for the followers. I think this is a possibility. We’re very open-minded and willing to make things better.”
Woods had actually laid out the financial logic back in December 2025.
“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,” he said. “So the financial windfall could be fantastic for everyone who’s involved.”
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On timing, Woods was measured but firm.
“We may not be able to implement all of it in 2027, but there will definitely be parts of it integrated or changed from what it is now in ’26 into ’27,” he said.
While the tour’s future keeps him occupied, Woods hasn’t closed the door on his own comeback.
Tiger Woods maintains hope of playing Augusta
When asked if the Masters was off the table, Tiger Woods simply said, “No.”
The 15-time major champion is still healing from the seventh back surgery, but the fact that he is thinking about coming back shows he feels cautiously optimistic rather than firmly committed. His recovery process has been slow and hard.
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He said that the disc replacement surgery has been a challenge, as he works to get stronger and more durable. He admitted that, at 50, age and multiple surgeries slow progress. He also said he can now hit full shots, but not always at the same level as before.
While his priority seems to be making the PGA Tour better, he is also eyeing a comeback at Augusta, showcasing that he cannot stay away from the greens for too long.
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