Skip to Content Facebook Feature Image

Tiger Woods has no firm answers on a deal with Saudis or his future as a player

News

Tiger Woods has no firm answers on a deal with Saudis or his future as a player
News

News

Tiger Woods has no firm answers on a deal with Saudis or his future as a player

2024-12-04 00:59 Last Updated At:01:10

Tiger Woods could not offer much of a timetable Tuesday on PGA Tour negotiations with the Saudi backers of LIV Golf or his own future as a player.

Woods is the tournament host of the Hero World Challenge this week, and that's his only role at Albany Golf Club in the Bahamas. He has played the holiday tournament only once since 2019, missing this year while recovering from a sixth surgery on his lower back.

“I'm not tournament sharp yet, no. I'm still not there,” Woods said. “These are 20 of the best players in the world and I'm not sharp enough to compete against them at this level. So when I'm ready to compete and play at this level, then I will.”

A big part of his time is occupied by PGA Tour business matters. Woods was appointed to the PGA Tour board a year ago with no term limits, and he also is on the board of the commercial PGA Tour Enterprises.

There has been movement on negotiations for the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia to become a minority investor in PGA Tour Enterprises — the tour already has a $1.5 billion investment from Strategic Sports Group and a player equity program. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan played in the Dunhill Links Championship on the European tour with the PIF governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan.

Monahan also played golf with President-elect Donald Trump, who had said he could fix golf's mess in about 15 minutes.

“I think all of us who have been a part of this process would have thought it would have happened quicker than this,” Woods said.

He suggested any deal still would have required Justice Department approval.

“But things are very fluid, we’re still working through it, it’s happening daily,” Woods said. “From a policy board standpoint or from an enterprise standpoint, things are moving and they’re constructive.”

In the meantime, Bloomberg reported last week the European tour is talking with PIF separately, leading to suggestions of a shared schedule in which players from the European tour and LIV Golf could play on each circuit.

“We all want to get past this and to do what’s best for the tour and in trying to do that, there’s going to be ... some eggs are going to be knocked over and it’s going to be a little bit difficult at times,” Woods said. “But in the end we’re going to get a product that’s better for all the fans and all the players that are involved and get some peace that the game desperately needs.”

As for his own future, Woods was not certain. He was not asked if he planned to play in two weeks at the PNC Championship with his son, Charlie. It's a 36-hole event hosted by the PGA Tour Champions, so Woods could ride in a cart. He has played it each of the last four years.

He looked back at 2024 as a lost year, primarily because of his ailing back that began to spasm as the year went on.

Woods had set a goal of playing a big tournament once a month through the majors season, but that fell apart early when he missed The Players Championship in March. He set a Masters record by making his 24th consecutive cut, but then only played at the next three majors and was gone by the weekend at each of them.

He had a microdiscectomy in September to alleviate pain down his legs, but he had no idea how often he could play in 2025.

“Whether my commitment going forward is once a month, yeah, I could say that all over again,” Woods said. "But I truly don’t know. I’m just trying to rehab and still get stronger and better and feel better, really give myself the best chance I can going into next year.

“This year, I had to toss it away and I wasn’t as sharp as I needed to be and I didn’t play as much as I needed to going into the major championships and I didn’t play well at them,” he said. “Hopefully next year will be better. I’ll be physically stronger and better. I know the procedure helped and hopefully that I can then build upon that.”

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

FILE - Tiger Woods watches his son Charlie Woods during the second round of stroke play at the U.S. Junior Amateur Golf Championship on July 23, 2024, in Bloomfield Township, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)

FILE - Tiger Woods watches his son Charlie Woods during the second round of stroke play at the U.S. Junior Amateur Golf Championship on July 23, 2024, in Bloomfield Township, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)

Next Article

Vladimir Putin congratulates Alex Ovechkin on ‘outstanding’ NHL goals record

2025-04-07 22:29 Last Updated At:22:31

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Alex Ovechkin for setting an “outstanding record” as the NHL’s all time top goal-scorer.

In a message after Ovechkin’s 895th career goal broke a tie for the record with Wayne Gretzky in the Washington Capitals’ game Sunday against the New York Islanders, Putin said the achievement was something Russians would celebrate.

“I congratulate you on your outstanding record. You have surpassed legendary masters in the number of goals scored in National Hockey League regular-season games,” Putin said in a statement released by the Kremlin on Monday.

Breaking Gretzky’s record “has become not only your personal success, but also a real celebration for fans in Russia and abroad,” Putin added. “I wish you health, good fortune (and) fighting spirit to conquer new heights in life and in sports.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that Putin and Ovechkin had not yet spoken by phone but that Putin’s message of congratulations showed the president “highly values Ovechkin’s sporting result.”

Ovechkin has been a backer of Putin in the past and in 2017 set up a group called Putin Team on social media to show support for the Russian president, who was re-elected the following year.

At the time, Ovechkin told The Associated Press and Washington Post, “I just support my country” and said, “It’s not about political stuff.”

Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyaryev referred to that moment in his own statement of congratulations after Ovechkin broke the record Sunday.

He posted on social media that Ovechkin “remains a member of the Putin team and at the same time one of the main faces of world hockey, a favorite of millions and the NHL top scorer.”

Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) waves to spectators as he leaves the ice after an NHL hockey game against New York Islanders in Elmont, N.Y., Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) waves to spectators as he leaves the ice after an NHL hockey game against New York Islanders in Elmont, N.Y., Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8), lower center, is celebrates with is teammates after scoring against New York Islanders during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Elmont, N.Y., Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8), lower center, is celebrates with is teammates after scoring against New York Islanders during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Elmont, N.Y., Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates after scoring his 895th career goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against New York Islanders in Elmont, N.Y., Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates after scoring his 895th career goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against New York Islanders in Elmont, N.Y., Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Recommended Articles
Hot · Posts