Tiger Woods may be closer to returning to competitive golf than many fans expected.
The 15-time major champion has not competed since withdrawing from plans to return earlier this year following another injury setback. While a return to the PGA Tour remains uncertain, four-time major champion Ernie Els says Woods has become increasingly open to another path back to tournament golf.
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According to Els, recent conversations with Woods suggest the golf icon is beginning to warm to the idea of competing on the PGA Tour Champions now that he is eligible after turning 50.
Ernie Els Says Tiger Woods Is Warming to the Champions Tour
Woods celebrated his 50th birthday this year, making him eligible to compete on the PGA Tour Champions for the first time.
For years, Woods has maintained his focus on returning to the PGA Tour, believing he could still compete against the game’s best players despite multiple surgeries and injuries.
Els, however, says Woods has recently shown more interest in the senior circuit.
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“He’s always welcome; he knows that,” Els said. “We had the discussion about the Champions Tour, and he asked me about it, and he started warming to it.”
Els said Woods continues balancing golf with numerous responsibilities away from the course.
“He’s a busy guy; he’s got a lot of responsibility. He’s always been very busy, shifting around the last four or five years, a lot of stuff behind the scenes,” Els continued. “I’ll keep knocking on his door. I think this is the type of golf course that would really suit him.”
If Woods eventually joins the Champions Tour, it would reunite him with many of the players he battled throughout his career while introducing him to a new competitive schedule that may better fit his current physical condition.
Tiger Woods Has Already Discussed the Possibility Publicly
Woods has previously acknowledged that the Champions Tour has become more appealing because players are allowed to use golf carts during competition.
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Walking 72 holes has become one of the biggest obstacles in his recovery after multiple back surgeries and leg injuries.
Speaking at this year’s Genesis Invitational, Woods explained why the Champions Tour has entered the conversation.
“I’ve had a fused back and now a disc replacement, so it’s challenging,” Woods said. “And now I entered a new decade, so that number is starting to sink in and has us thinking about the opportunity to be able to play in a cart.”
He also made clear why he views the senior circuit differently than the PGA Tour.
“That’s something that, as I said, I won’t do out here on this tour because I don’t believe in it. But on the Champions Tour, that’s certainly that opportunity.”
Broadcaster Shares Story About Ernie Els Talking About Tiger Woods’ Dominance
As discussions about Woods’ future continue, longtime Golf Channel broadcaster Rich Lerner recently reflected on just how dominant Woods was during the height of his career.
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During an appearance on the “Subpar” podcast with Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz, Lerner discussed his new book, “Aren’t You That Golf Guy?” and shared one of his favorite stories involving Els.
Lerner recalled interviewing Els before the 2011 U.S. Open and asking how Woods’ dominance affected the rest of the tour.
“I asked Ernie Els… all these years later, how do you view that period of time and Tiger’s impact on you?” Lerner said.
Els told him about a conversation with his father during Woods’ historic run in 2000.
“You know, about 2000, my own father, he said to me, ‘Why don’t you stand up to that man?’ And I said to my own father, I said, ‘You have no (expletive) idea what we’re dealing with.'”
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Lerner said the response captured exactly what it was like competing against Woods during his prime.
“Think about that,” Lerner said. “‘You have no idea what we’re dealing with,’ as if Tiger were a force of nature, like a tsunami, that couldn’t be handled. And, he was. I mean, they didn’t have an answer for the guy. They just didn’t.”
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