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The final round of the 2019 Masters was magical. With a three-way T2 finish, Xander Schaufeli, Dustin Johnson, and Brooks Koepka were breathing down Tiger Woods‘ neck, having played only 1 stroke more than him. But that day, after a comeback for the ages, Woods lifted the Masters title and was honored with the Green Jacket for the fifth time in his career. But even that wasn’t enough for him to join an elusive list of golfers.

Tiger Woods

The 15-time Major champion is probably as close as any golfer can get to ‘having done it all.’ Well, almost. Because there’s a certain 18-time Major winner who’s right up there with Woods. But unlike him, the only thing ‘honorary’ about Jack Nicklaus‘ relation with the Augusta National Golf Club is the ceremonial tee shot off No. 1 he’s been hitting since 2010.

READ MORE: Tiger Woods Absent From Crucial PGA Tour-PIF Meeting in NYC, Reports Reveal Early Exit After Nexus Cup Sighting

When it comes to Augusta National, both legends have had the most success there – with Nicklaus’ record six Masters titles and Tiger Woods just behind with five. However, that’s not the only area in which the 48-year-old doesn’t have what Nicklaus has in Augusta.

It’s a well-known fact that winning the Masters is a direct ticket to getting an honorary membership of Augusta National (apart from getting the opportunity to play the Masters every year that follows). But when it comes to becoming a full member of the prestigious club, there are only a handful of professional golfers who have those bragging rights. And Jack Nicklaus is one of them (alongside John Harris and 10-time Major winner Annika Sorenstam).

Tiger Woods 

In totality, Augusta National’s membership has been awarded to about 300 individuals so far. Jack Nicklaus became one back in 2000, just one year after 4-time Masters champion Arnold Palmer received it in 1999. Sandwiched between the two greats when it comes to Masters titles, Tiger Woods has still not received his membership card to the elite club. So, what does it take to become a full member?

ALSO READ: Tiger Woods TGL Update: How Does Toptracer Work? Golf Ball Tracking System Unraveled

In the November 9 episode of The Joe Pomp Show on YouTube, Joe Pompeian shared some interesting details about the same. He stated that an individual’s stature, wealth, race, or power does not determine if they deserve an Augusta National membership. Founded in 1932, the club started out as a white, men-only establishment. For almost 60 years, that was the case. But it’s not anymore.

Tiger Woods | Biography, Majors, Masters, Leg Injury, & Facts | Britannica

Shortly after the 1990 Shoal Creek controversy at the PGA Championship, Augusta named Ron Townsend the first Black member of the club. However, there’s one aspect that’s remained the same over the years: The first rule of Augusta’s membership is that you don’t talk about Augusta’s membership.

Pompeian said, “Potential members must be nominated by a current member of the club. You might be one of the best golfers in the world. But that also doesn’t guarantee you access to the historic course… Even a Masters champion like Tiger Woods has only been given honorary status.” And, well, the exclusive list of people who are members definitely aren’t the best golfers, if what Pompeian revealed is anything to go by. Turns out, the average handicap of Augusta National members is 14!

Tiger Woods

Joe clarified that Masters champions can play at the Augusta National whenever they want, and they are free to invite guests to play on the course, too. But he also compared how those with a membership are treated as opposed to those who don’t have one. “Guys like Tiger and Scottie Scheffler still need to pick up their guests at the front gate and their foursome has to include a current member of the club.”

Even after you become a member of the Augusta National, you still have to abide by the rules of the club. The rules range from dress codes and on-course behavior. For example, members are not allowed to wear their hats backward, are not permitted to wear shorts ever, and can’t tip anyone on the property besides the caddies, to name a few.

Tiger Woods | Biography, Majors, Masters, Leg Injury, & Facts | Britannica

That said, while we can’t say if Tiger Woods absolutely wants to become a full member of Augusta National, we can say that the prospect of becoming one would be appealing. But even if that’s not in his cards, the five-time Masters winner can rest assured he can play the course whenever there’s an opening (and share more memories with his son, Charlie, at Augusta). As for Jack Nicklaus, he’s already graced the greens a few times this year.

In an interview with the Palm Beach Post last October, the 18-time Major champion said that he didn’t know when he would play golf again. As much as he would’ve liked to, Nicklaus just didn’t have as much fun as he used to. “I would like to go play again. I play so poorly [now], it’s just really not any fun. And I run out of golf balls,” he said.

 

The Players: Peers, commentators react to Tiger Woods' absence

When he revealed this, the last golf shot he’d hit was the ceremonial tee at the 2023 Masters. However, a year later, after hitting that tee off No. 1 again, the legend stayed put at Augusta after Scottie Scheffler won his second Masters title. And he played three rounds!

As reported by Golf Week, he revealed, “I shot 88, 90 and 91. That’s a 269 for three rounds, which is a pretty good four-round score. That’s what I play anymore. They don’t have any forward tees at Augusta. I can’t play 6,400 yards. I hit the ball 190 yards anymore, if I kill it. I played once last year, once the year before, and I’ve played four times this year already.”

All said and done, do you think Tiger Woods will ever be honored with an Augusta National membership? Let us know your views in the comments.

If you are a Tiger Woods fan, better prepare yourself. Wait… don’t get confused! We only meant that the golfer and his son might not be able to tee it up at the 2024 PNC Championship. But even though Charlie Woods and his father might miss something that has become close to an annual family tradition, the former will have to prepare himself. Any guesses why? Well, on the off chance that he does show it off, Woods Jr. would have to face his 13-year-old rival. Yes, we are talking exactly about Annika Sorenstam’s son, the athlete who recently turned many heads at a junior golf championship.

The female golfer’s son is currently teeing it off at the Disney Fall Junior Open that is taking place at the Walt Disney World Palm course from October 5, Saturday, to October 6, Sunday. The young athlete, interestingly, is leading the scoreboard for the 11-13 age group of the boys division at 1-under par 71 after the first round of play.

Tiger Woods' Son Charlie's Snoopy Hat Goes Viral at PNC Championship –  Footwear News

 

Sorenstam’s son managed to card a total of three birdies during his first round, at the par-3 3rd, par-5 7th, and par-4 14th at the Hurricane Jr. Golf tournament. The golfer also went ahead to dish out two bogeys in the last three holes, at the par-3 16th and the par-4 18th. Regardless, it still seems like quite an impressive feat, seeing as Woods Jr.’s rival boasts a 2-shot lead heading into the final round.

Come Sunday, Will McGee will be teeing it off alongside the likes of Leo Taylor and Theodoros Kalionchiz, the two of whom occupy T2 and T3, respectively. What’s more, they will be kicking off their final round from the first tee at 2:21 p.m. on October 6.

Will McGee sure has it in him to emerge victorious at the tournament. Doubtful? Don’t be, for he had already captivated the attention of many during the two times he teed it off at the PNC Championship alongside his mother. Remember his ace in the first round of the tournament? Well, you can expect something similar from the youngster even if Tiger Woods and Charlie Woods are present at the PGA Tour Champions event!

The uncertainty surrounding Charlie Woods and his father

Tiger Woods' son, Charlie, 15, to play Thursday in pre-qualifier - ESPN

 

As far as bad news goes, it’s not the worst, seeing as how Tiger Woods is currently in recovery. Moreover, his recent post also paints a hopeful picture for the golfer, who had surgery in September 2024. “The surgery went smoothly, and I’m hopeful this will help alleviate the back spasms and pain I was experiencing throughout most of the 2024 season,” said the golfer in a statement after his lumbar spine procedure. “I look forward to tackling this rehab and preparing myself to get back to normal life activities, including golf.”

For those who are unclear about the surgery, listen carefully. Tiger Woods had been experiencing back spasms for a while now (as evident in the majors that he played). As a result, he underwent microdecompression surgery led by Dr. Sheeraz Qureshi of the Hospital for Special Surgery. They did so to treat the golfer’s nerve impingement on his lower back.

It seems Tiger Woods was not a part of the recent merger talks. Yes, you read that right! The 48-year-old golfer and player director of the circuit’s Policy Board was not a part of the PGA Tour-PIF meeting that was set up in New York City, per reports. But there’s a catch, for the athlete was also in the city ahead of the gathering but for an entirely different reason.

Tiger Woods 

A tweet was shared by TWLEGION on their X handle divulging the golfer’s activities as per a report shared by Bob Harig, a journalist from Sports Illustrated. It also mentioned how the 15-time major champ was in NY but for the Nexus Cup that took place from September 9 to 10 at the Liberty National Golf Club. However, the golfer has since then reportedly left town following the end of the event.

Get ready for golf like never before! Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy‘s revolutionary team golf league is set to make golf high-tech in the coming days. TGL is truly pushing the boundaries of innovation, and with many big names associated with the league, it is bound to be successful. But what’s behind the magic that’s set to transform the game forever?

Toptracer, the official ball-tracing partner of TGL, is at the forefront of this technological revolution. So, how does it work its magic? Let’s explore how it’s set to change the face of golf forever.

Toptracer leads the golf industry with range technology in over 1,000 driving range facilities worldwide. The company officially partnered with TGL after a successful two-year testing period at TGL Performance Labs. Toptracer’s camera sensors track every tee shot and approach play with pinpoint accuracy as they hit the massive 64×53-foot screen.

Rory McIlroy hails Tiger Woods' involvement in PGA Tour discussions on LIV  Golf | CNN

 

 

TGL positions its tee boxes 35 and 20 yards away, creating the perfect setup for its camera sensors to capture every detail.

This screen, a staggering 24 times larger than a standard simulator, sets the stage for unparalleled accuracy. Moreover, it meticulously monitors every shot and feeds the data into TGL’s data engine, unleashing insights, learnings, and predictive data for viewers and second-screen users.

Speaking about their partner from two years ago, Andrew Macaulay, Chief Technology Officer, TMRW Sports and TGL, noted, “With the flexibility, accuracy, and reliability of Toptracer’s ball-tracing technology, we’re gathering an extensive amount of data on each shot to help accurately transition into the virtual landscapes of our custom-designed holes.” Macaulay also highlighted, “Using Toptracer’s ball-tracing has added to the scale of TGL, allowing for our tee boxes to be a long way from the screen and for shots to be hit from any lie and location.”

Home to TGL, the SoFi Center is a 250,000-square-foot oasis of innovation nestled on the campus of Palm Beach State College. The excitement is set to kick off on January 7th, 2025, with the league’s inaugural season. That will mark a new era in golf entertainment that will thrill fans worldwide.

Initially planned for this year, the league delayed its start due to a roof destruction incident in November 2023. Now, as TGL prepares to revolutionize the golf landscape, the question remains: can this innovative approach win over the hearts of traditional golf fans?

Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy to launch series for top stars with PGA Tour

Can Tiger Woods’ TGL, with its High-Tech twist, win over golf fans?

With its prominent role in golf’s most prestigious events, Toptracer is set to captivate fans. In January 2025, six teams of PGA Tour superstars are set to thrill golf enthusiasts at the SoFi Center, delivering a truly unique golf experience. The teams will tackle 15 electrifying holes, divided into two action-packed sessions: nine holes of triples in a 3v3 format, where three players from each team will alternate shots.

Additionally, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s TGL format brings an extra layer of strategy and teamwork to the game, which is a whole lot different than the traditional game. However, as the match intensifies, teams switch to singles mode. Six holes of head-to-head play will keep fans on edge. Consequently, its modern matchplay scoring system adds excitement, with each hole worth 1 point. The team with the fewest shots on a hole wins the point. Hence, the team with the most points at the end will be declared the winner.

TGL’s bold formula is poised to fill the gap between tradition and innovation, redefining the game for a new era. How do you see this new tech-infused league? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Tiger Woods has been given some advice on his future from an ex-rival.

Tiger Woods has been backed to use the PGA Tour Champions to improve his form in golf’s four majors. The sporting icon has struggled in the biggest tournaments this year, with injuries limiting his impact and preventing him from claiming a 16th title.

Woods is only two years away from being eligible to play on the over-50s tour. The shorter, 54-hole events could allow the American to build his fitness, particularly if he is allowed to navigate the courses in a cart.

Tiger Woods returns with new caddie and stocks new driver in Bahamas | Golf  | Sport | Express.co.uk

His former rival Michael Campbell believes it would be a ‘no-brainer’ for Woods to use the PGA Tour Champions to improve his form in the majors. In eight of his nine rounds in majors this year, the 48-year-old has shot over-par.

“It would be great for the Champions Tour to have him on board,” he says. “With the Champions Tour, it’s only three rounds of golf and he’s on a cart which is going to help him with his injuries,” Campbell told Bunkered.

“He may use the events as a warm up towards the major. He’s got a scorecard in his back pocket and he’s not putting too much strain on his leg so there’s a chance he could do that building up to the Open or the Masters. To me, it’s a no-brainer.”

Campbell famously defeated Woods in the 2005 US Open at Pinehurst. At the time it was a major shock, with Woods comfortably the world’s leading player.

The Five: Undying confidence highlights biggest observations of Tiger  Woods' return - PGA TOUR

But the last few years have been very tough for the golfing icon. Injuries sustained in a near-fatal car crash in 2021 have hindered Woods’ mobility.

Campbell admits that he now feels ‘sorry’ for Woods. The 55-year-old New Zealander continued: “It’s a real shame. Through my whole career I played a lot with him. He was awesome. To see how he’s playing now… I feel sorry for him.”

He’s played four times this year and played poorly,” Campbell explains. “It’s hard for Tiger to come back and only play the majors on the four toughest golf courses.

“He needs to maybe rethink his schedule because you can’t do that. I know he’s Tiger Woods but he can’t just go into a tournament having not played for three or four months and come back and expect to play well. It’s the major issue he has.”

 

Tiger Woods has just about every shot imaginable in his arsenal. Whether the situation requires the ball to go high or low, left or right, the 15-time major winner has the shot in his bag to get it done.

Watching Woods work around the greens you can see his creativity really shine. Rarely on the course does he hit just a stock shot with his short game. Every scenario is a little bit different, and each requires specific adjustments in order to have the best chance of chipping it close.

One of Woods’ go-to shots around the greens comes in the form of a “draw chip.” And in today’s edition of Play Smart, we’re going to hear from the man himself on how to hit it.

Tiger Woods Friday live updates at 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla

How to hit Tiger’s draw chip

Sometimes getting the ball close from short range requires a little bit of creative thinking. For Woods, that comes in the form of shaping the ball left or right to get the ball close.

For a shot that needs to move left-to-right — or one that might be affected by a tough lie — he turns to his patented draw chip.

Executing the shot is simple. According to Woods, he opens the face just a touch, keeps his hands forward at address and then when the club head is approaching impact, he tries to close the face down and move his body forward.

“I’ll get more spin,” Woods says. “But I’m also ensuring that I don’t fat it.”

Next time you’re around the greens and are worried about catching the ball a little heavy, try focusing on hitting a draw chip. You’ll be amazed how easy it is to execute — and how useful it is to have in your arsenal.

LIV Golf star Jon Rahm is gearing up to represent Spain at the Paris Olympics, with the golf event set to take place at Le Golf National – a course where Rahm has fond memories

LIV Golf sensation Jon Rahm has candidly confessed that his exuberant celebration after besting Tiger Woods in the 2018 Ryder Cup was “the biggest overreaction to a four-footer I’ve ever seen”.

READ MORE:Tiger Woods Has Played In The Open Twice At Royal Troon – But How Did He Get On?

Rahm is gearing up to fly the flag for Spain in the upcoming Paris Olympics, with the golf competition set to unfold at Le Golf National, a venue that holds special memories for him. The scene of his Ryder Cup debut for Team Europe back in 2018, Le Golf National witnessed Rahm’s significant contribution to Europe’s triumph over the USA by a margin of 7.5 points, despite being the youngest contender in the fray.

Jon Rahm chides Tiger Woods for not giving him advice

Despite stumbling in his initial matches, Rahm clinched a victory against Woods on the final day, sinking a tense four-foot putt on the 17th hole and subsequently unleashing a torrent of emotion in celebration. Reflecting on his victory over Woods and its place in his list of career highs, the champ of the 2023 Masters shared: “It ranks very high. It was my first ever Ryder Cup point, so it ranks very high.”

RELATED:Tiger Woods Explains Truth About Unexpected U.S. Ryder Cup Decision

He continued: [I] didn’t have my best week, and I got carried by [Justin] Rosey on the first match and we lost on 18 and [Ian] Poulter kind of carried me in the second one. We lost to a great [Jordan] Spieth/Justin Thomas duo, and to win my first Ryder Cup point on Sunday against Tiger, it’s quite unique.

“So yeah, it’s going to be very high up there. I would always say it’s the biggest overreaction to a four-footer I’ve ever seen, but it’s still what I felt in that moment.”

Jon Rahm - Tiger Woods won't answer his texts about LIV move - ESPN

Despite a glittering career that has seen him clinch two majors and multiple PGA Tour titles, Rahm remains unsure of what an Olympic gold medal would mean to him. “I don’t know,” he revealed ahead of the games.

UPDATE:Tiger Woods speaks out regarding 2025 US Ryder Cup captain selection

“It’s a hard question to answer because there’s been things in my life that I thought were going to have a different impact personally that after accomplishing them luckily I felt more or less than I thought. If I can end up with the win on Sunday next week, you can ask me the same question and I’ll be able to tell you.”

While Rahm has enjoyed a stellar career on the PGA Tour, he has yet to secure a victory on the LIV Golf circuit since his high-profile move. With the summer Olympics fast approaching, golf fans will be glued to their screens from August 1-4 for the men’s event, while the women’s showdown is scheduled for August 7-10.

 

We look at how Tiger Woods has fared in his previous Open Championship appearances at Royal Troon.

There have been some incredible Open Championship renewals at Royal Troon with some legendary winners – but Tiger Woods is not one of those having missed out in both of his previous visits.

The battle for the Claret Jug has been staged three times at the Ayrshire course since Woods has been on the scene, but he’s played in just two of them.

The 15-time Major champion has lifted the Claret Jug himself three times, and did produce some decent golf during his two visits to Troon, but never managed to string four rounds together.

1997 – WINNER: JUSTIN LEONARD

Tiger’s Position: T24 (72, 74, 64, 74)

Not a vintage Open performance from Woods but he did throw in a scintillating third round of 64 on Saturday to fire himself into contention heading into Sunday.

It was much needed after a poor start that resulted in him finishing his second round way down in four over while Darren Clarke led on nine under.

It was not like Woods at all on Friday, as he shot a three-over 74 while the rest of the field were sticking low scores in all over the place, with four of the top five shooting 66.

Woods started Sunday in T8 but a long way back of leader Jesper Parnevik (eight shots) and while the Swede did falter down the stretch, it was a different American who came with a late run to capture the Claret Jug.

Justin Leonard shot a sparkling 65 to claim a three-shot victory, while Woods went in the other direction as he could only manage a closing 74.

2004 – WINNER: TODD HAMILTON

Tiger Woods 

Tiger’s Position: T9 (70, 71, 68, 72)

It was a similar story for Woods when he returned to Troon in 2004 with again the Saturday third round being his highlight when he carded a 68 to move up into T7.

That followed on from rather ordinary opening rounds of 70 and 71 to leave him on one under at halfway and six shots off leader Skip Kendall heading into the weekend.

Woods then went into the final round four shots off the lead, but once more he found it hard to make a dent on Sunday as he returned a one-over round of 72.

Instead, it was left to Todd Hamilton to win a thrilling playoff against Ernie Els to spring a big shock victory.

Tiger Woods recently stirred major buzz in the golf world by turning down the opportunity to captain the USA’s Ryder Cup team in 2025. The golf legend spoke about his decision following the announcement that Keegan Bradley would be the captain of the U.S. team.

“With my new responsibilities to the Tour and time commitments involved, I felt like I would not be able to commit the time to Team USA and the players required as a captain,” Woods said. “That does not mean I wouldn’t want to captain a team in the future. If and when I feel it is the right time, I will put my hat in the ring for this committee to decide.”

Keegan Bradley was just announced as the 2025 US Ryder Cup team captain and that news shocked the entire golf world. The consensus was that Tiger Woods would be the selection with the event coming back to New York, but as new reports surfaced it turns out that Tiger turned the offer down.

You might be wondering why he would ever do that. The Ryder Cup in New York at Bethpage Black is about as iconic as it can get, so why wouldn’t Tiger want that as part of his legacy?

Thankfully we don’t need to speculate as Tiger Woods has already commented on why he turned down the Ryder Cup captaincy.

Tiger Woods shares why he turned down the 2025 US Ryder Cup Captaincy

“With my new responsibilities to the Tour and time commitments involved, I felt like I would not be able to commit the time to Team USA and the players required as a captain. That does not mean I wouldn’t want to captain a team in the future. If and when I feel it is the right time, I will put my hat in the ring for this committee to decide.”

Tigers’ response above is as straightforward as it can possibly get. Essentially, Tiger feels he’s too busy right now to devote the amount of time he feels is necessary to be the Ryder Cup team captain. And if that’s his true reason then I commend him for turning the offer down.

While I do believe everything Tiger said above, I think there’s a lot more behind his decision to turn the offer down than what he shared.

More reasons why Tiger Woods turned down Ryder Cup captaincy

Tiger wants to be a player captain

One other reason why I think Tiger turned down the captaincy is because he wants to be a player captain. This is what Tiger did for the 2019 Presidents Cup when Tiger arguably was the best player on the team that year. So I imagine he wants to also be a player when he captains the US Ryder Cup team.

But there’s one problem, Tiger knows his game isn’t good enough right now. So I believe he wants to wait until he believes his game is good enough so he can be a player and captain simultaneously.

Be the leader when the US FINALLY wins in Europe again

Are you ready for one of the wildest stats you’ll ever hear? The US hasn’t won the Ryder Cup in Europe since 1993. That means Tiger has never defeated a European team in Europe in his career.

This stat is always a major talking point when the Ryder Cup is in Europe, and it surely will be again when the 2027 Ryder Cup rolls around. So I think Tiger wants to wait for 2027 so he can lead the US to victory in Europe for the first time in what feels like forever, which in turn would become one of the greatest accomplishments of his career.

Tiger is close friends with owner of 2027 Ryder Cup course

And the final reason I think Tiger will wait until 2027 to be the US Ryder Cup captain is because of the golf course hosting the event. The 2027 Ryder Cup is at Adare Manor Golf Course in Ireland, a course Tiger is extremely familiar with.

His close friend J.P. McManus owns the course and it’s a course Tiger plays quite often. Most years Tiger plays in the member-member with McManus at this course, so it’s safe to say Tiger is extremely knowledgeable on the layout of the course.

So while all the reasons Tiger shared publically about being too busy to be captain this year is likely accurate, adding in these other details may paint the entire picture.

So I’m putting it out there now, I think Tiger will be the US Ryder Cup captain in 2027 so he can add to his legacy even more by defeating Europe on foreign soil for the first time since 1993 at a golf course he’s very familiar with.

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