One of the best golfers in the history of the game is Tiger Woods, but he has been dealing with injuries in his later career. He turned 50 on Tuesday, making him eligible for the PGA Tour Champions circuit. Once he recovers from his latest health issues, he will be eligible to compete on that tour, but he has not publicly said whether he will.
The tour, formerly known as the Senior PGA Tour, allows golfers to use carts and has a 54-hole format at most tournaments outside of the 72-hole majors. Due to how many health issues Woods has dealt with, especially recently, this tour might be exactly what Woods could do to stay in playing shape in golf.
This question has also come up because this past season was the first time Woods didn't compete in a single PGA Tour tournament. He was scheduled to compete in the Genesis Invitational but pulled out, saying he wasn't ready to compete after his mother, Kultida, passed away on Feb. 4.
Then, he ruptured his left Achilles tendon in March while ramping up training and practice at home in Florida for the Masters. Finally, Woods underwent his seventh back surgery in October to replace a disk in his lower back that caused pain and mobility issues.
In December at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, Woods gave an update, saying he was taking his recovery slowly but hopes to start ramping things up soon.
“Once I get a feel for practicing, exploding, playing, the recovery process, then I can assess where I'm going to play and how much I'll play,” Woods said. “I'm a ways away from that part of it and that type of decision, that type of commitment level.”
All of the injuries have hampered and slowed down Woods' continued stay atop the sport of golf. A good comparison for that is Phil Mickelson, who became the oldest major championship winner at 50 when he won the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island, South Carolina.
