Tiger Woods will return to compete alongside his son Charlie at the PNC Championship this week, before making his next appearance in the soon-to-be-launched TGL
Tiger Woods has claimed the game of golf ‘needs’ his new, innoative league TGL, with the ongoing dispute between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf continuing to overshadow the sport.
Woods is back in action for the first time since missing the cut at The Open Championship in July, playing alongside his son Charlie at the PNC for the fifth-straight year. The 82-time PGA Tour winner is a big fan of the mixed event, having described it as his ‘fifth’ major at The Open in the summer.
It gives Woods the chance to play alongside his teenage son, who is starting to forge his own career out on the golf course at high school level.
Speaking ahead of this week’s tournament, Woods was quizzed on TGL, the stadium-based circuit created by himself and Rory McIlroy which gets underway next month. The indoor league will provide fans and players with a completely new experience, but Woods is confident of the launch, and believes it provides a nice distraction away from the ongoing politics between the PGA Tour and LIV.
“Yeah, it’s going to be great,” he said of TGL at the PNC Championship. “This is what we’ve been shooting for. We’re trying to bring a new demographic to this game of golf, and it’s going to be exciting. I was blown away at the amount of moving parts there is to this.
“There’s a lot of moving parts, but as a showcase, it’s going to be unbelievable on TV. I hope that we can invigorate the game because it definitely needs it right now.” Woods’ year has been dominated by his work off the course rather than on it, as he continues to battle for full fitness.
Woods will play with his son Charlie ( Image: Getty Images)
There had been concerns he could well miss this week’s event in Florida, as well as the early part of the TGL season due to his struggles with injury. He has competed just five times in 2024, only completing 72 holes once at the Masters in April.
He was set to compete at the Hero World Challenge earlier this month, but was forced to withdraw from the 20-man field in the build-up having recently undergone surgery on a back problem. And whilst he will be in action over the next couple of months, Woods is still facing problems with his body.
Providing an update on his health in Florida, he told the Golf Channel: “I’m not at a competitive level. This is a, this is a scramble. So, you know, I don’t have to play each and every shot. I’m not competitively sharp, but it’s more of a bonding experience to be able to have friends and family and be able to compete and have fun with Charlie. I mean, that’s what this week’s all about.”
