Tiger Woods is set to return to regular competition in 2025 when he competes in TGL, a new golf league that he co-founded with Rory McIlroy, in January.
Tiger Woods may not be back in action on the PGA Tour for a few more months, but he’s about to give the organisation a massive lift, according to world No. 7 Wyndham Clark.
Woods is gearing up to compete in TGL, the innovative tech-infused league he co-founded with Rory McIlroy, which is set to kick off in January. The TGL will see 24 of the PGA Tour’s top stars go head-to-head in weekly made-for-TV matches at SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
This marks the first time the 49-year-old has committed to a regular schedule of events since his high-speed car crash in 2021, which left him severely injured and dealing with a number of ongoing physical issues.
Woods only played the four majors and The Genesis Invitational on the PGA Tour this year, and it was clear that the challenge of walking 18 holes day after day is extremely difficult at this stage of his career.
However, the TGL arena will help alleviate those issues. The players will hit full shots into a huge simulator screen during the three-vs-three, 15-hole matches before shifting their focus to a nearby dynamic short-game area. Representing Jupiter Links Golf Club, Woods is scheduled to play his first TGL match on January 14.
Meanwhile, 2023 US Open champion Clark, a member of The Bay Golf Club who is set to play in TGL’s inaugural match seven days earlier, believes Woods’ return to regular competitive action is a timely boost for the PGA Tour and the sport as a whole.
“It’s massive. Regardless of how good Tiger is playing, just having Tiger involved in golf and playing is massive,” Clark exclusively told Mirror Sport. “And obviously, with his complications with his body and health, it’s hard for him to play four rounds in a row, multiple weeks in a row.”
“And in this, though, it takes away a lot of the physical challenges that he’s struggling with. And now he can just hit the shots. And so that’s amazing for the game of golf.”
“It’s amazing for TGL. And selfishly, it’s awesome for me that I get to play alongside Tiger and compete with him. I’ve never really had that opportunity as kind of a younger, up-and-coming player.”
Justin Rose provided a sneak-peek of TGL ( Image: Justin Rose/X)
Woods grabbed attention as he teed off over the weekend with his son, Charlie, at the PNC Championship. The duo finished second to Bernhard Langer and his son, Jason, yet Tiger proved he remains the ultimate crowd-puller in golf – with hoards of enthusiasts glued to their screens during an exhibition tournament’s finale.
The world of men’s professional golf has faced its fair share of turbulence recently, not least due to the upheaval caused by the launch of LIV Golf in 2022. The relentless behind-the-scenes squabbles have left fans weary and exacerbated a worrying dip in PGA Tour viewership stats.
TGL is poised to inject new life into the tour, enticing fresh spectators. The weekly matches are set to take place predominantly on Monday nights, broadcast live during primetime on ESPN, stepping in to fill the gap left by the NFL season’s end.
Clark, aged 30, is convinced that TGL will have an enormously positive effect. “Oh, it’s amazing,” he enthused. “I’m hoping it’s the start of a lot of primetime stuff for golf. I think TGL has been very smart and strategic to plan it right after the NFL season’s over. People want to watch sports still and taking over that Monday night slot is massive.”
He added, “People are home on Monday nights and they want to see sports. And I think that’s going to be great for the game of golf. And I hope people love this and want more of it. And then next thing you know, a lot of golf is on primetime.”
