Tiger Woods says the past 12 months have been a "very turbulent" period for golf following the launch of the LIV Golf series that has threatened the game's status quo.
The 15-time major champion will make his comeback at the Genesis Invitational on Thursday where he will tee off with Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas.
Woods, 47, will be making his first non-major PGA Tour appearance since the Zozo Championship in October 2020, having spent a lengthy time out after the car accident in February 2021 that left him with multiple significant leg injuries.
In the meantime, LIV Golf launched in June last year, with numerous high-profile players defecting from the PGA Tour, creating a divide and fractures within the sport.
"The past year since, if you go back to this week at Genesis last year to where it's at now, we all have to say it's been very turbulent," Woods said. "We never would have expected the game of golf to be in this situation, but it is, that's the reality.
"I was alluding to trying to create the best product. Obviously, they're a competitive organization trying to create their best product they possibly can, and we're trying to create the best product that we think for the future of golf, how it should be played.
"How do we do that? We're still working on it. We have so many top players that are aligned. We need to have our top players understand that we need to play around the world and create the best product possible.
"It's been an ebb and flow, it really has. And it's been difficult, there's no lie. You've seen our ambassador, Rory, go through it. It's been tough on him, but he's been exceptional.
"To be able to go through all that, I've been with him on all those conference calls and side meetings, and for him to go out there and play and win, it's been incredible."
The PGA Tour has been threatened by LIV Golf, which used eight 54-hole no-cut stroke play tournaments and a final Team Championship in its inaugural season to create a new and exciting product with a point of difference.
LIV Golf will evolve into a league format for the next season with a 14-event schedule and 48 contracted players.
Woods, whose foundation organizes the upcoming Genesis Invitational at the Riviera Country Club in California, said the PGA Tour is working on ways to maintain its position as golf's leading series to rival LIV Golf's updated offerings.
"We are in the process of figuring all that out," Woods said. "It's been a variety of different models and opinions. Trying to figure out what's the best product and competitive environment. What we should do going forward.
"Limited fields, what's the number? Cuts, yes or no? What's the number? How many players are playing the event? What's the ability to get into the designated events? How is [PGA Tour commissioner] Jay [Monahan] able to sell our product to the different sponsors across the board?
"There's so much give and take. It's still ongoing. It's been difficult. A lot of the players have been very forthright, which is great. We're trying to help our commissioner create what he can sell so all of us can benefit."
Djokovic, Bale and Sainz among stars to take on Ryder Cup match in Rome
Novak Djokovic, Gareth Bale and Carlos Sainz were among the celebrities who turned out in a Ryder Cup ‘All Stars’ match ahead of the main event in Rome on Wednesday.
Colin Montgomerie and Corey Pavin, opposing captains at Celtic Manor in 2010, reprised their rivalry in a contest between two teams of six over seven holes at Marco Simone.
The competition provided some additional entertainment for the crowd as players from the European and United States teams continued to practice ahead of the 44th Ryder Cup, which begins on Friday.
Djokovic, who won a record-extending 24th grand slam at the US Open earlier this month, and Wales record goalscorer Bale were members of the triumphant ‘Team Monty’, which won 7-4.
Djokovic, who partnered leading disability golfer Kipp Popert in his four-ball match, said: “It’s a great honour to be here. It was something I will marvel and cherish for a very long time.
“Obviously I am much more comfortable hitting a tennis ball with my racket but I don’t think I did too badly today, I hit some good shots and had some good holes.”
The Serb is expected to speak to the European team prior to the start of the Ryder Cup.
“Now I am staying for a few days,” he said. “I have to experience this unique atmosphere. At 7am on Friday, I hear it is this incredible noise.”
Former Real Madrid and Tottenham star Bale, who has become a regular on the pro-am golf circuit since retiring after last year’s World Cup, emphasised the importance of team play in what is normally an individual sport.
He said: “You aren’t playing just for yourself, you are playing for your country, your continent. You have to put your ego to one side and its all about the team, doing your best for the team, whether you win or lose.”
Ferrari Formula One driver Sainz, whose team-mates on the day included 2004 Ballon d’Or winner Andriy Shevchenko and Victor Cruz, a Super Bowl champion with New York Giants, said: “I had a lot of fun.
“It was an incredible feeling to play in front of so many people on such a cool golf course.”
Pain of missing Ryder Cup will hit home now with LIV rebels – Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy believes the Ryder Cup absence of Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood will be felt more keenly by the LIV rebels than it will by the European team in Rome.
The trio have been stalwarts of the event for two decades but made themselves ineligible after joining the Saudi Arabia-backed breakaway and resigning their tour memberships.
Despite Garcia, the Ryder Cup’s all-time leading points scorer, making a forlorn late attempt to find a way back into the reckoning, McIlroy said the current side would not be dwelling on former team-mates.
“I mean, it’s certainly a little strange not having them around,” said the Northern Irishman.
“But I think this week of all weeks it’s going to hit home with them that they are not here and I think they are going to miss being here more than we’re missing them.
“It’s just more this week is a realisation that the decision they made has led to not being a part of this week and that’s tough.
“The landscape in golf is ever-changing and more dynamic, and we’ll see what happens and whether they will be part of it in the future.”
This summer’s surprise decision to merge LIV Golf into the PGA Tour is likely to offer a way back for all those players who initially defected, but there is plenty of negotiation and trade-offs to be done before that picture becomes clear.
But, having probably seen their Ryder Cup playing careers ended, Justin Rose, back after missing the record defeat at Whistling Straits, admits his former team-mates still have something to offer as members of the backroom staff.
“Obviously Westy, Poults as captains or vice-captains or however they may or may not be involved in the future do have a lot to offer,” said the Englishman.
“But the more we can kind of blood the younger generation coming through, the quicker you’re going to kind of skip through that transition phase.
“Maybe the transition started last time around at Whistling Straits and now we’re coming through that already.”
McIlroy is making his seventh Ryder Cup appearance, the most of any player at Marco Simone, and will be viewed as Europe’s leader on and off the course.
However, the world number two is keen to be viewed as just another regular member of the team and no hero figure.
“I’m not there giving rallying cries and speeches. When we came on the practice trip I said to every guy – and some of these guys have watched me play on TV – I don’t want anyone looking up to me,” he added.
“I want them looking over to me. I want them to see me like I’m on their level and there’s no hierarchy on our team.
“I guess that’s the one message I’ve tried to relay to some of the younger guys on the team.”
McIlroy will feel like he has a debt to repay after a paltry one-point return from a singles victory over Xander Schauffele in 2021, but he admits his game is in a much better place than two years ago.
“I felt like I was searching a little bit. I didn’t feel in full control of my game,” he said.
“I got a lot of confidence and belief in myself that Sunday singles at Whistling Straits because I certainly wasn’t believing in myself at that time, but the rest of my team did believe in me and sent me out number one to go get a blue point on the board.
“I realised that just being myself is enough. I think for a good part of 2021, I was trying to be something that maybe wasn’t natural to me.
View this post on InstagramMcIlroy was also asked about the behaviour of fans, particularly in the wake of Open champion and United States team member Brian Harmon being abused at Royal Liverpool this summer.
“There’s certainly a line. Most fans that come out to watch golf are very respectful and they know what that line is,” he added.
“Someone said to me once, ‘If you want to be part of the circus, you have to put up with the clowns’.”
Shane Lowry admits to emotional week as family messages relayed before Ryder Cup
Europe’s Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald has cranked up the emotion in the team room this week by bringing his players to tears but it is all part of the plan to get his stars ready to regain the trophy from the United States.
The tactic of having messages from family relayed in meetings during the build-up has been well used in the past by both sides and the Americans will have undoubtedly done the same at Marco Simone.
And while the videos tug at the heartstrings, they are used as a tool to help boost confidence and reinforce the reasons for their presence in Rome this week.
“It’s an emotional week and even some of the stuff that’s happened already this week would get you quite emotional,” said Irishman Shane Lowry, who famously said after the defeat in Whistling Straits two years ago he had cried then – but not for his 2019 Open win or the birth of his first child.
“There’s videos that are played in the team rooms in the evenings, motivational videos and it just kind of hits home a little bit.
“I’m not going to elaborate much further than that, but Luke and his team have done a great job already this week on Monday and Tuesday.”
World number three Jon Rahm did, however, expand a little further on what they have been viewing behind closed doors.
“I don’t know how much of that they’re going to post, so that’s kind of personal for us,” he added.
“There’s very few players not shedding a few tears yesterday afternoon. I can say that.
“It was a lot of family-related (content) and the reason why all of us are here. If you guys (the media) were to watch it, it would make you feel a lot of the same emotions we felt.”
While family are leant on heavily for such contributions, the players often seek out reassurance and advice from other sources and Rahm did not think twice about taking counsel from his good friend and record Ryder Cup points scorer Sergio Garcia.
His fellow Spaniard is ineligible to play having resigned his European Tour membership following his move to LIV Golf and despite Rahm campaigning for his inclusion, only a couple of weeks ago calling his omission “stupid” and even Garcia himself trying to negotiate a way in, there was no way back for the 43-year-old.
But that has not stopped Rahm consulting his countryman – and former Ryder Cup talisman Ian Poulter who was not considered for the same reasons – as late as Monday.
“I did talk to him (Garcia) and ask for advice. He did show me a lot of what to do at Whistling and obviously in Paris, as well,” added the Masters champion.
“But I did have a little bit of a chat with him, and with Poulter, as well.
“Poulter was a little bit longer than last week. Sergio as recently as yesterday.
“Not that it’s going to be easy to take on the role that those two had both on and off the golf course, but just to hear them talk about what they thought and what they felt is obviously invaluable information.”
The dynamic within the team room often plays a huge part in the overall success of the team and as Europe look to bounce back from their record defeat in Wisconsin, Lowry said fighting for a common cause was galvanising.
“I think being a part of something that is bigger than you or anything else is pretty cool,” he said.
“Whistling Straits (a 19-9 defeat) was hard to take but it was quite motivating for me coming away from that and it’s quite motivating for me this week.
“I’m looking forward to going out there and hopefully earning some points for Europe and hopefully we can all do a great job at trying to win the trophy back.”
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
