It was always about what he did rather than what he said. It was thanks to events that took place not in front of microphones, but with clubs in hand, that Tiger Woods became not only the dominant figure in golf, but also one of the most recognized people in the world. The young Woods had a distrust of the press. Relations became even more complicated after the scandal that affected the golfer’s personal life. Until the closing phase of his acting days became a definitive reality, the media (whose career depended to some extent on his fame) had to exist alongside him without any sense of mutual warmth.
This time it’s all about what he says. Woods will make another comeback, like Sinatra, at next week’s Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas. Because his foundation is philanthropic and there is no frenzy in the background, Woods has made a habit of appearing on stage in Albany in December. This will be his first since limping out of the Masters. The attendance was a surprise, considering the physical strain he suffered at Augusta National in April.
In the intervening period, the 47-year-old player has walked directly into the center of golf’s civil war. Rory McIlroy may have left the PGA Tour’s board scene, but Woods, appointed in August, remains at the table. It does this while the PGA Tour winks at corporate America. Tiger Woods has significant appeal for any business seeking investment.
Woods never seems to have had much time for Greg Norman. The 15-time major winner has publicly and consistently disparaged LIV Golf model Norman fronts. While seven-figure entry fees for participation in the Saudi Invitational, the forerunner of LIV, were being floated, Woods had no interest in playing a role in the kingdom’s not-so-subtle maneuvers in golf.
So where does that leave Woods as the PGA Tour tries to close an increasingly precarious deal with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund? He didn’t jump into an administrative and decision-making position because he didn’t have much else to do. It was about making an impact; and in abundance. Jay Monahan may be the Tour’s commissioner, but Woods is the man players and fans will follow. If he chooses to throw a public wrecking ball at the PIF alliance in his speech on Tuesday, the Tour will again find itself in direct opposition to LIV and that sport’s model of disruption. The Tour, largely through its poster child Woods, also needs a viable Plan B. Woods may cite confidentiality clauses, but he has a duty to explain what he thinks the elite game’s direction of travel should be for the next few decades. If he sides with Saudi investors, Woods will have drastically changed his approach.
Professional golf is not in a nice place. The looming Dec. 31 deadline for the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and PIF to produce something beyond the framework agreement seems fanciful. McIlroy was within his rights to mention time constraints as he left the meeting room, but it was easy to assume he might not have fully agreed with what was going on behind closed doors.
Many in the sport seem desperate to ensure that Saudi wealth comes to them rather than being distributed elsewhere, and so they completely ignore the source of these funds. This might be called the Newcastle United syndrome. The sight of the R&A’s normally risk-averse chairman, Martin Slumbers, playing golf with the PIF governor at the Dunhill Links Championship was particularly worrying in this context. R&R should go beyond trying to legitimize sports washing through casual photo opportunities.
Those inside LIV continue to speak with absolute certainty about the future; This is despite the tour’s lack of broad visibility, sponsorship and interest. The recent announcement of the 2024 calendar came after famous actor Brooks Koepka muttered and now with the typical gaps. There are missing leaders and cold analysis of how much PIF needs to spend to keep this operation afloat. Looking at the calendar space alone, a golf world where traditional tours coexist with LIV makes no more sense than it did when they announced peace in our golf time in June.
The PGA Tour may require a gamble. Instead, he can count on LIV fading away if a deal is struck with one of the many US private equity ventures sniffing out the sport. LIV could triple, try to woo the world’s best golfers, and open warfare could resume, except for legal jousts that have been permanently halted. With Woods at the forefront of a realigned PGA Tour, it’s hard to see it failing.
A snapshot of Woods’ ongoing commercial value to the Tour comes via the Player Impact Programme. The program, designed to reward those who show interest in the product, paid $12 million this year to Woods, who ranked second behind McIlroy. Woods’ total income from this project was $35 million in three years, during which he barely kicked the ball in anger.
World No. 190 Nate Lashley described the program as a “kick in the teeth” for the Tour’s ranks. Lashley’s case is weakened by the fact that no one other than his dedicated golf followers could pick him from the roster. He’s earned close to $2 million in 2023 thanks to three top-10 finishes in a contest where dollar signs are driven by the big two. Of these, Woods maintains the biggest profile. How he chooses to use this in the coming days will be fascinating. Words, not actions.