Tiger Woods’ game, TGL’s delay, golf deals

Check in each week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the most popular subjects within the sport, and be a part of the dialog by tweeting us at @golf_com. This week, we focus on Tiger Woods’ first press convention and the state of his sport, the TGL’s surprising postponement and the 2023 PGA Tour PIP outcomes.

1. This week’s Hero World Challenge can have additional eyes on it, as event host Tiger Woods will likely be among the many 20-player subject within the no-cut occasion within the Bahamas. It will even basically be the primary time Woods has fielded questions from reporters because the 2023 Masters, which was additionally his final begin. Lots has occurred since. What are the highest two subjects you’d love to listen to Woods reply questions on candidly?

James Colgan, information and options editor (@jamescolgan26): The merger! Crazy because it sounds, we nonetheless haven’t heard from the person because the golf world flipped on its head. I wish to know what he thinks in regards to the prospect of becoming a member of forces with the Saudis. I’d additionally love to listen to Tiger speak in regards to the record of calls for submitted to PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan that resulted in his changing into the Tour’s sixth participant director. That story — and the resultant fallout of a substantial shift in energy on the PGA Tour stage — looks like one of the underreported items of 2023. 

Josh Sens, senior author (@joshsens): What does he suppose professional golf will appear like within the years forward? And since he’ll have a say in that, what does he need it to appear like? More elevated occasions? Fewer? Could he himself abdomen enjoying in occasions underneath a Saudi partnership? Would that tarnish the sense of legacy that he values a lot? Underlying all of these questions is the problem of the rising divide amongst professional golf’s greatest stars and the rank-and-file. Does he suppose extra must be achieved to appease these stars? What about the remainder of the gamers who more and more really feel like they’re getting quick shrift? Where would Tiger strike the steadiness? Yeah. I do know. That’s greater than two questions. At this level, safety has ushered me out of the press room.

Jack Hirsh, assistant editor (@JR_HIRSHey): I believe my colleagues above lined a variety of the highest questions with one notable exception: His well being. I’m unsure I’m extra involved about his well being than two years in the past, however actually greater than final yr. With the fusion surgical procedure he had on his ankle final spring, he doubtless needed to relearn methods to stroll once more. I wish to hear about that course of and the way he needed to rework his golf swing to accommodate it. Tiger is generally coy when speaking about his accidents, however he’s additionally extra insightful in regards to the golf swing than simply about anybody. I guess his press convention may function a clinic for golfers battling path leg accidents.

2. Woods has performed sparingly over the previous few years as accidents and a condensed schedule have restricted his begins. But what if his sport isn’t as much as his requirements? Could Woods’ play this week give any trace to how a lot he’ll try to play in 2024?

Colgan: I believe we already know how a lot Tiger Woods goes to play heading ahead: minimally. The larger query is how effectively will Tiger Woods play golf heading ahead. This week we’ll get a a lot clearer image of how the subtalar fusion surgical procedure he underwent in April has affected his means to stroll and swing with ease. His rating, spare for one thing loopy, is irrelevant subsequent to how snug he appears taking pictures it.

Sens: I believe we are able to just about depend on Tiger’s sport not being as much as his requirements this week. How may it’s? But I doubt how effectively he performs this week will decide how typically he performs this season. As James says, we all know Tiger goes to select his spots. The majors. Maybe Jack’s occasion. Maybe the Players. Maybe the Genesis. Ultimately, the deciding issue will likely be his well being, not how effectively he strikes it or putts it this week.

Hirsh: This week is about one factor: can he nonetheless stroll 72 holes? He’s solely achieved it two instances since his automotive accident. I don’t suppose his play means something this week and I believe it’s in all probability a great guess that he finishes twentieth within the subject of 20. But if he can stroll 72 holes with out limping too severely, it would nonetheless be a win.

3. Speaking of Tiger, it was introduced final week that his tech-infused TGL golf league, which was presupposed to launch in January, will now be postponed till 2025 after its roof collapsed. Why such a protracted delay? And will this setback have any lasting ramifications on the league, together with issues similar to participant commitments?

Colgan: My intuition tells me the delay has extra to do with the golf schedule than the repairs essential to get the sector up and operating. The difficulty right here is timing: flying execs in for a Monday or Tuesday match, then flying them out to play a 72-hole event starting on Thursday. It’s an enormous ask! Having it overlap with the key season was an excessive amount of to ask. 

Sens: Agreed, James. There was a window to get this began, and it closed when the roof collapsed. As for what occurs going ahead, like a lot else nowadays, that appears contingent largely on what occurs within the larger image, with the proposed merger. What if the framework settlement falls by way of and different large names soar to LIV? Would they be welcome on the TGL? Would they even wish to be a part of? What about Tiger himself? What if he will get harm once more and might’t participate? What does that do to the league’s prospects and attraction? So a lot is up within the air, to the purpose the place I don’t suppose it’s foolish to ask—is there an opportunity that the TGL doesn’t ever get off the bottom in any respect?

Hirsh: I believe the reason for the 12-month delay is definitely quite simple. Monday nights on ESPN are occupied from April to December with Monday Night Baseball within the spring and summer season adopted by Monday Night Football within the fall. TV is the place all the cash is, due to this fact they get to name the pictures. If the league was pushed again only a month or two for the dome’s restore, ESPN wouldn’t be capable to present matches in April or May on its principal channel. I’m positive extra went into the choice than that, however cash talks and that’s the place nearly all of it was. I’m nonetheless optimistic we see the TGL in 2025.

4. The 2023 PGA Tour PIP outcomes are in! Rory McIlroy got here away with an enormous bonus with a bunch of different gamers cashing in too. Meanwhile, Nate Lashley was the most recent to talk out towards it, calling it “ridiculous” that $100 million was spent on simply 20 gamers. “Time for new leadership on the PGA Tour,” he wrote. “This is an absolute kick in the face to the rest of the PGA Tour players.” What are your ideas?

Colgan: Patrick Mahomes’ cap hit this yr is $37.1 million. Jerrick McKinnon — a stable, vested veteran operating again — has a cap hit of $1.1 million. Can anyone work out why we haven’t heard Jerrick McKinnon complaining about Patrick Mahomes making 37x his wage? 

Sens: Lashley’s not mistaken. That’s loopy cash, lavished on a restricted few. Then once more, these are loopy days within the skilled sport, fueled by irrational competitors for high expertise. So, yeah, it’s arduous to make old style sense out of the PIP cash. At the identical time, for those who instructed the common individual on the road in any a part of the world that somebody named Nate Lashley has made practically $7 million enjoying golf since 2018, they’d say that’s fairly nutty, too.

Hirsh: Nate Lashley needs a slice of that $100 million? Cool! Play higher and it’s yours! The PIP is meant to reward gamers to contribute most to the PGA Tour’s product. Fans are paying tons of of 1000’s of {dollars} every week to see Rory McIlroy. Nate Lashley merely doesn’t promote tickets.

That stated, the PIP is being diminished again to $50 million subsequent yr with the distinction going into the FedEx Cup bonus pool and Comcast Business Top 10. So if Nate Lashley needs a chunk of that, and I digress, he must play higher as a result of he missed the FedEx Cup playoffs this yr.

5. Black Friday, Cyber Monday — there are golf deals galore proper now. What’s been one of the best membership, gadget or accent you’ve added to your bag over the previous yr?

Colgan: I began enjoying Titleist’s new T100 collection irons and proceeded to shoot the bottom 5 scores of my {golfing} life. So I’d say that.

Sens: I received occurring the Golf Forever health program, which I can do from my residence workplace, with a bar and bands that hook simply to the door. Simple, time-efficient workouts which have helped immensely with power and suppleness. Too dangerous my swing is identical fragile assemblage of wildly shifting elements.

Hirsh: I received to check out the Garmin S70 golf smartwatch earlier this fall and I favored it a lot that I purchased one for my dad for the vacations. Never did I believe I used to be a GPS man over a rangefinder, not to mention a watch wearer, however it’s tremendous fast to make use of and the opposite smartwatch options, like sleep monitoring, are nice for me.