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What do you think about the bond between Tiger Woods and Mark O’Meara? O’Meara calls him “little brother” meanwhile they have also played alongside him for years. While it might be hard to describe their relationship, both golfers shared a lot of stories together. Here is one of them from 2020.

JUST IN: Report: Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus were involved in plan to put golf courses in Florida state park…

Although the story dates back to 2002, John Cook shared it with Golf Digest four years back. In that year, Woods had already won the Masters and the U.S. Open and was getting ready for the Open Championship at Muirfield. The incident occurred at the back of the range at Isleworth, where Mark O’Meara and John Cook were attempting to hit 3-irons to a green about 220 yards away.

TIGER WOODS

While further talking about it Cook said “We had played Bethpage, and unlike Tiger, every hole for us was like a driver and 3-iron or 4-iron or even a wood. So we’re trying to get the ball up higher with our 3-irons, just seeing if we can launch them.” As it happened Tiger Woods joined them after a six-mile run and he wasn’t wearing a shirt. “He’s got no shirt on, he’s wearing sunglasses, his hat is turned backward and he’s sweating like crazy. He sees us, and he stops to watch, but he doesn’t say anything,” Cook said.

However, the 15x major winner didn’t wait and asked “Hey, what are you guys working on?”. Cook said talking about it “We tell him we’re trying to hit these longer clubs higher in the air. So he says to me, “Let me see your 3-iron.” And guess what happened next? As you might have guessed he hits this 3-iron not at the green Mark and Cook were aiming at but at the next green, about 245 yards out.

Tiger Woods did this without a practice swing. Following that “He flew it right into the middle of that green, handed the club back to me, and said, “Just do that.” Mark and I looked at each other like, We’re trying to beat that? I put the club back in my bag and said, “I’m going to go over here and putt more; maybe that will help,” concluded John Cook.

SEE MORE: Rory McIlroy handed blunt advice from Tiger Woods’ former coach after BMW Championship woes and US Open meltdown…

May 13, 2024; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Tiger Woods signs autographs during a practice round for the PGA Championship golf tournament at Valhalla Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Interestingly, there is around a 19-year age gap between Tiger Woods and Mark O’Meara. Despite that O’Meara calls him a little brother and they have shared a lot of moments on the greens. Surprisingly, Woods even once helped O’Meara to win a hole at the 1998 but at the Cisco World Match Play Championship. Not only O’Meara has witnessed Woods’s skill they also share an awkward yet memorable moment.

The memorable moment between Tiger Woods and Mark O’Meara

Tiger Woods

It happened in 1998 during the Masters. There is a tradition at the Augusta National that the prior year’s champion sticks around for the weekend, regardless of whether or not he makes the cut, to honor the next Masters champion with a green jacket. Tiger Woods had won the 1997 Masters and was ready to honor O’Meara, who had just secured his first major victory. However, there is a height difference between these two and it created a memorable moment for them.

During the green jacket ceremony, Mark O’Meara was unable to get his arm into the jacket and it kind of created an “awkward situation” for him. Later Mark O’Meara revealed further about it and said ‘Hey, you gotta lower the jacket.’ And so he did, and I got my arms in there and he gave me a hug.” Although O’Meara is set to retire after the PURE Insurance Championship this year, he has 16 PGA Tour wins including two majors to his name. Aside from that he also shares a deep bond with golfers, especially, Tiger Woods throughout these years.

What do you think of Tiger Woods and Mark O’Meara’s bond? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!

RELATED: Scottie Scheffler Falls Way Short of Tiger Woods as PGA Tour Peers Downplay His 2024 Success

 

NBC News is reporting that Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus, two of the biggest names in golf, were included in the Florida plan to put golf courses in Jonathan Dickinson State Park. The network cited a representative for the legendary golfers who confirmed their interest in the project.

 

Tiger Woods

 

 

 

 

 

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The Palm Beach Post reported last week that two companies founded by Nicklaus, but with which he is no longer affiliated with, flatly stated they were not involved in the state park proposal. But the statement also made clear they were not speaking for Nicklaus.

Plans by the Department of Environmental Protection to add golf courses, lodges and pickleball courts in nine state parks drew an outburst of anger, especially the part of the plan that included putting golf courses in Dickinson, a state park on the Palm Beach-Martin County border not far from Woods’ Jupiter Island home and Nicklaus’ North Palm Beach home.

On Wednesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis distanced himself from the plan, saying it was “half-baked” and “leaked to a left-wing group to try to create a narrative.” He said that there had been some calls for improvements at state parks, but that the DEP needed to go back to the drawing board.

Documents were leaked to environmentalists a week ago showing plans for the installation of three public golf courses at Jonathan Dickinson as part of the state’s 2024-2025 Great Outdoors Initiative.

SEE MORE: Lee Westwood hit back at Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods and savaged PGA Tour star after LIV move…

TIGER WOODS

The fervor of discontent that followed led to the state postponing public meetings that were scheduled.

NBC News said Eugene Stearns, who represents Nicklaus, said Woods and Nicklaus would do course-design work on the project.

“There were actually going to be at least two courses; one would be a Tiger course and one would be a Jack course,” Stearns told NBC News.

Stearns said Nicklaus would have done the work free of charge.

“For Jack, it was a charitable issue,” Stearns told NBC News.

Nicklaus Companies, which is no longer affiliated with founder Jack Nicklaus, told The Palm Beach Post it was not associated with the recent golf course plans. The statement from Nicklaus Companies emphasized that it was from the firms — Nicklaus Companies and Nicklaus Design — alone, not Jack Nicklaus personally.

Nicklaus Companies reiterated that it had nothing to do with the courses at Jonathan Dickinson and called the project an “ill-conceived plan.”

“We cannot comment on what other parties may be doing, but Nicklaus Companies and Nicklaus Design oppose the development of golf courses in Jonathan Dickinson Park or any other Florida state park,” a statement sent to The Palm Beach Post said. “If asked to participate in such a project, we would decline.”

Jack Nicklaus resigned from Nicklaus Companies in May 2022 when he was 82 years old.

“Nicklaus Companies has no inside information regarding projects he may or may not have pursued over the last two years outside of our companies,” the statement added.

In 2011, legislators tried to add golf courses to state parks through bills that would have created the “Jack Nicklaus Golf Trail of Florida.” The only park specifically mentioned in the House’s version of the bill was Jonathan Dickinson, which is nearest Nicklaus’ North Palm Beach home.

The bills were quickly withdrawn after public outcry.

RELATED: Rory McIlroy had stunned two-word reaction to iconic Tiger Woods moment at Tour Championship…

Rory McIlroy was caught up in one of the most iconic Tiger Woods moments of all time.

And he could only muster up two words in response: ‘Holy s***’

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With the Tour Championship upon us, there will be endless replays of Woods’ comeback victory in 2018.

It is considered one of the most enduring scenes in sport history – as an all-time icon walked among thousands of fans to pull off something nobody thought was possible.

The golf legend had not won on the PGA Tour for five years due to numerous injuries that doctors thought would end his career.

Tiger Woods

His stunning triumph at East Lake in 2018 was treated like a second coming – and preceded his remarkable Masters victory in 2019.

SEE MORE: Scottie Scheffler Falls Way Short of Tiger Woods as PGA Tour Peers Downplay His 2024 Success

An interesting sub-plot to Woods’ Tour Championship victory was the presence of McIlroy.

The Northern Irishman, who grew up idolising Woods, was paired with the great man heading into the final round.

At three shots back, McIlroy found himself in a horrible position, knowing victory would ruin a story that all golf fans were rooting for.

Luckily for the history books, Woods never faltered, and after successfully finding a greenside bunker with his second shot at the par-five 18th, it was game over.

As McIlroy and Woods, the game’s two most famous players, strolled up the fairway, fans broke contain.

Thousands of them flooded the 18th fairway to be part of the historic moment.

Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods

McIlroy and Woods, who have grown close over the years, can be seen aiming a few nervous smiles towards each other as security tried to keep fans at bay.

In the end, McIlroy ran ahead and vacated the scene, leaving Woods to look as though he was marching an army into battle.

It created a breathtaking scene which quickly went viral on social media – and McIlroy was almost left speechless.

He congratulated Woods during an emotional embrace on the 18th green, and as he walked towards the scoring tent, he turned to a TV camera and said: “Holy s***”.

Meanwhile, Woods said: “I was having a hard time not crying on that last hole.

“I just can’t believe I’ve pulled this off.”

Tiger Woods

The 15-time major winner and 81-time PGA Tour winner had dropped to 1,199 in the world rankings less than a year before the victory, having undergone spinal fusion surgery.

He added: “It’s been tough. I’ve had a not-so-easy last couple of years.

“I’ve worked my way back. I couldn’t have done it without the help of all the people around me.

“Some of the other players knew what I was struggling with. It was really special to see them at the green on 18.

“It’s just hard to believe I won the Tour Championship.”

Woods’ progress would be dented by a near-fatal car accident in 2021 and the 48-year-old will not be competing at this year’s Tour Championship.

These days, his only competitive outings come in the majors and a small handful of PGA Tour events.

Despite ongoing struggles with injuries and questions over his continuing efforts to compete, Woods still believes he can win at the highest level.

Speaking to talkSPORT.com at The Open in July, he said: “I’ll play as long as I can play and I feel like I can win the event.”

When pressed on whether that belief has wavered amid a number of poor finishes in recent years, he simply replied: “No.”

RELATED: Major League Baseball player tells hilarious story of how his manager let him play 27 holes with Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods‘ former coach Hank Haney has urged Rory McIlroy to stick with caddie Harry Diamond despite his recent woes.

It has been a difficult year so far for McIlroy, who fumbled the chance to end his 10-year major championship drought in June after a disastrous collapse at the US Open.

Hank Haney VS TIGER WOODS

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The Northern Irishman also struggled at last week’s BMW Championship in Colorado, where he threw one of his clubs into the water and even snapped his driver in half amid frustration over his form.

McIlroy hit back at his comments by saying: ‘Hank Haney has never been in that position.

‘Just because Harry is not as vocal or loud with his words as other caddies, it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t say anything and that he doesn’t do anything. I just wish that, you know, these guys that criticize when things don’t go my way, they never say anything good when things do go my way.’

He also added: ‘Someone said to me once, if you would never take advice from these people, you would never take their criticisms, either. Certainly wouldn’t go to Hank Haney for advice.’

SEE MORE: Lee Westwood hit back at Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods and savaged PGA Tour star after LIV move…

A few months on from their spat, Haney has stressed that he still believes Diamond is a ‘great’ caddie for McIlroy.

Tiger Woods VS Rory McIlroy

And in light of his recent problems, Woods’ ex-coach is not convinced that parting with him is the answer.

When asked on X if McIlroy will return with a new caddie in 2025, Haney told a fan: ‘No, I think his caddie is great for him. I never said he wasn’t great for Rory, I said they made a mistake on #15 at the US Open.

‘I actually am actually a big fan of friend caddie’s, anyone can make a mistake.’

McIlroy appeared set to end his decade-long major title drought at the US Open, only to bogey three of the last four holes – and miss two putts from inside four feet – to hand Bryson DeChambeau the championship.

And as his form deteriorated at the BMW Championship, the red mist descended for him in Colorado.

At one stage the world No. 3 fired off a wayward shot with his ball coming to rest on the bank just above a creek that meanders down the right side of the fairway, narrowly avoiding the drink.

He then used the club as a crutch while leaning over to pick up his tee, but was almost sent tumbling as it gave way beneath him, bending and shattering.

One day earlier, McIlroy angrily tossed his 3 wood golf club into the water in disgust as he let his frustrations boil over after a tough day on the green.

The four-time major champion although still clearly annoyed dejectedly walked down to the bank of the water to collect his golf club out of the water.

RELATED: Scottie Scheffler Falls Way Short of Tiger Woods as PGA Tour Peers Downplay His 2024 Success

There was never a doubt in anyone’s mind that Tiger Woods had the best seasons when he had multiple victories. However, with Scottie Scheffler, things are different. The 27-year-old emerged victorious in six events, including the Masters, and won a gold medal at the Olympics as well. Notably, the five events were also all elevated, including four signature events and the PLAYERS Championship.

On the other hand, his competitor and the man Scheffler has been getting compared to, Xander Schauffele, carded only two wins this season. Albeit both were majors, once at the PGA Championship and then at the 152nd Open in Royal Troon. Despite breaking one of Tiger Woods’s records, and getting near his level, Scheffler’s popularity among the PGA Tour pros hints that he needs more to stand tall with Woods.

Scottie Scheffler becomes the second option for PGA Tour pros

It’s hard to argue whose season was the best when two of the best golfers are against each other. On one hand, Scottie Scheffler has been dominant in comparatively every event, whereas on the other, Xander Schauffele took on two out of the four majors. The question remains a puzzle, yet most of the PGA Tour pros chose Schauffele.

At the BMW Championship in Castle Pines GC, the question of whose season you would choose was a popular one at the press conference. When Viktor Hovland was posed with it, he commended Scheffler’s run and said he had a better season compared to anyone at this point. However, he was still more inclined towards Schauffele. The Norwegian pro said, “I think in like 20 years back — 20 years in the future, looking back at the year, I think I’d rather have won two majors, just personally.” 

And Hovland was not alone in doing so. The 13-time PGA Tour winner Jason Day also expressed that he would rather have Schauffele’s season than that of world no. 1. The Australian pro praised Scheffler and said that he had a tremendous and phenomenal year, which will probably make him the Player of the Year. However, the 2-time major winner surpassed here too. Day said, “Even though Xander has won two majors, I would probably go more towards the majors just because I want to add more majors to my career.” 

Furthermore, Justin Thomas also joined in to share that he would also choose Xander Schauffele’s season over Scheffler’s, prompting the same reason as others. While many opted for the world no. 2’s 2024 season, all was not lost for the world no. 1 as two of his PGA Tour comrades came in to support him.

Who has chosen Scottie Scheffler’s 2024 season?

Technically, Scottie Scheffler has more odds of winning the PGA Tour 2024 Player of the Year than Xander Schauffele. So far, no one could deny that the world no. 1 was unstoppable on the courses and his form was ordinary in only a few games. Thus, not everyone on the PGA Tour opted for Scheffler, at least not Wyndham Clark and Rory McIlroy.

The 2023 US Open winner was hesitant to give an outright answer to choose between his two buddies. But he put Scheffler over Schauffele. Clark said, “With how good Scottie is playing right now and what he’s done this year… Scottie is on a run that we haven’t seen since Tiger.” That was true, the last time any player won the PLAYERS, Masters, and 3 or more events was Tiger Woods in 2005 before Scheffler matched it in the 2024 season.

So, Clark gave Scheffler the upper hand but still said, “I would choose both of them if I could.” Meanwhile, the Ulsterman, Rory McIlroy, has the clear winner between Schauffele and Scheffler. When he was asked the same question, without any hesitation, the Northern Irishman said, “Scottie’s. I think winning the Masters, an Olympic gold medal, winning, whatever it is, six times, it’s pretty hard to top that.”

So, although Scheffler has been ranked world no. 1 for more than 66 consecutive weeks, to match Tiger Woods, he would have to be ranked no. 1 for the next four years. Thus, reaching Tiger Woods might still be far away but Scheffler has been on the right path despite Xander Schauffele coming out to be the better choice to his PGA Tour comrades.

Today’s Sports Highlight in History:

In 2000, Tiger Woods wins the PGA Championship in a playoff over Bob May, becoming the first player since Ben Hogan in 1953 to win three majors in one year. He’s the first player to repeat as PGA champion since Denny Shute in 1937.

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On this date:

1921 — Molla Bjurstedt Mallory beats Mary Browne, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 to win the U.S. women’s national tennis title at the Germantown Cricket Club in Philadelphia.

1931 — Helen Wills Moody beats Eileen Bennett Whitingstall 6-4, 6-1 to capture the women’s title in the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association championship.

1944 — Robert Hamilton upsets Byron Nelson in the final round 1 up to win the PGA Championship.

1960 — Holland’s Hairos II, driven by Willem Geersen, wins the second International Trot at Roosevelt Raceway before a record crowd of 54,861.

1990 — George Steinbrenner steps down as NY Yankee owner.

Tiger Woods

1995 — Monica Seles completes a remarkable first week back in tournament tennis, routing Amanda Coetzer 6-0, 6-1 to capture the Canadian Open. Her 74 games sets a tournament record for the fewest played by a champion.

SEE MORE: Today in Sports History: Tiger Woods becomes the youngest player to compile 50 PGA Tour wins

1999 — 7th Athletics World Championships open at Seville, Spain.

2003 — The U.S. wins the women’s overall team gold medal at the gymnastics world championships. It is the first gold for the Americans — men or women — at the biggest international event outside the Olympics.

2004 — Michael Phelps matches Mark Spitz’s record of four individual gold medals in Olympic swimming by winning the 100-meter butterfly. He edges teammate Ian Crocker to win his fifth gold medal. Shortly after winning his seventh medal of these Olympics, Phelps gives up his spot in the medley relay to Crocker.

2006 — Tiger Woods wins the PGA Championship for a five-shot victory over Shaun Micheel and his 12th career major. He becomes the first player to win the PGA twice on the same course, having done so at Medinah in 1999.

2008 — Usain Bolt of Jamaica breaks the 200-meter world record, winning in 19.30 seconds at the Beijing Games. He is the first man since Carl Lewis in 1984 to sweep the 100 and 200 at an Olympics.

2012 — Augusta National invites former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and South Carolina financier Darla Moore to become the first female members since the club was founded in 1932.

2016 — Allyson Felix and LaShawn Merritt anchor the 4×400 relay teams, and the U.S. exits the final night of action at Olympic Stadium with 31 medals — its most in a non-boycotted Olympics since 1956. The U.S. women’s basketball team beats Spain 101-72 for a sixth straight title.

2018 — Alabama becomes the second team to be ranked No. 1 in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll for three straight seasons. The preseason AP poll started in 1950 and since then only Oklahoma from 1985-87 had started No. 1 in three straight years.

2023 — FIFA Women’s World Cup Final, Stadium Australia, Sydney: Spanish captain Olga Carmona scores the only goal of the game as La Furia Roja score a 1-0 win over England.

RELATED: Lee Westwood hit back at Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods and savaged PGA Tour star after LIV move…

Former Major League Baseball outfielder Jeff Francouer shared a Tiger Woods story from back in the 2005-06 timeframe when Woods was an absolute menace on the golf course and arguably the biggest name in pro sports.

“I’ve met President Bush and Obama and I was not nearly as starstruck as when I met Tiger Woods for the first time,” Francouer told ESPN’s Tim Kurkjian on his podcast Great Game or What.

Atlanta Braves Manager Bobby Cox used to allow his players to play golf during spring training. One day, they had a 1 p.m. spring training game against the New York Yankees. Francoeur was 22 and had just been named a starter. He was in no position to ask for a day off from training camp. But he didn’t have to because Cox came over to him during stretching and informed him that star pitcher and golf fanatic John Smoltz had an afternoon tee time at 1:50 with Tiger.

“I’m like, I’m fine, Bobby, I’m ready to play,” said Francoeur, 40, a right fielder who played on eight different MLB teams and serves as a TV analyst for the Braves these days. “He goes, ‘No, I’ll make you a deal.’ He said, ‘After your first at-bat today, run through first base and kind of rub your ankle like you hurt it, right?’ He’s like, ‘In two days we’re going to Bradenton.’ You need three starters to play on a road trip. And he’s like, ‘I hate Bradenton’s infield. I don’t want to get any of the guys hurt. So if you go to Bradenton, I’ll let you play with Tiger,’” Francouer recounted that Cox told him.

Tiger Woods

As instructed, the right fielder grounded out in his first at-bat and ran to first base rubbing his ankle in front of an estimated 12,000-13,000 fans in Orlando.

“Bobby, he waddles out there and he checks on me,” recalled Francoeur before pulling him from the game as a safety precaution. “I run inside, literally throw my golf clothes, didn’t shower, and I get to the golf club and they’re on the first fairway. So I hit my tee shot, we end up playing 27 holes and around 4:30 my wife sends me (a text) that there was an update that said Francouer day to day with a high ankle sprain.”

The things professional athletes did to tee it up with the one and only Tiger Woods.

cottie Scheffler’s numbers, the ones you can access via a click, bear out his bag-wide abilities.

Tee balls? He’s fourth on the PGA Tour this season in strokes gained: off the tee.

Iron shots? He’s first in SG: approach the green.

Around the green? Eighth in that metric.

Putting? He’s 90th, but the work there has been well documented.

All of it pops the eyes, and Max Homa seemingly wouldn’t argue. But there’s something somewhat under the hood, he says, that is truthfully Scheffler’s best skill. So great is it that he says he’s jealous.

That Tiger guy does it, too, Homa said.

The popular pro was talking this week on the No Laying Up podcast — and you can (and should)  listen to the entire podcast in full here — and the Scheffler subject came up. Along with the stats, he’s won six times this season, including at the Masters, though host Chris Solomon noted that he thought Scheffler “is truly released from the result and is focused on the process.”

Homa jumped on that.

He called it impossibly hard to do.

He called it Scheffler’s greatest skill.

Then he told a story about Tiger Woods. At this year’s Masters, Homa and Jason Day were paired with Woods over the first two rounds, and Day and Homa spotted something unique from the 15-time major winner on day one on the par-5 13th hole, which was their day’s final hole after storms delayed the tournament’s start.

“Tiger hit a bad drive on 13,” Homa started on the podcast, “and it’s windy, and I mean, Tiger’s the best iron player I’ve ever seen — Scottie’s up there, but Tiger, just I don’t know how to explain it. And maybe he just — maybe it’s just our fondness of him, but like, he works it a little bit different. It’s just really fascinating to watch him hit golf shots.

Golf veteran Lee Westwood has lashed out at critics who he feels are “brainwashed” by the negative perception of LIV Golf.

The 51-year-old, who was among the first to join the controversial Saudi-backed circuit last summer, has faced a barrage of criticism from both peers and golf enthusiasts. On the Fairway to Heaven podcast, Westwood confessed, “After 30 years of being a professional sportsman I’ve learned not to give a s— what anybody thinks.”

Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods

JUST IN: Today in Sports History: Tiger Woods becomes the youngest player to compile 50 PGA Tour wins

Throughout his career, Westwood remained loyal to the European Tour, resisting the allure of the PGA Tour’s prestige before making the switch to LIV. He explained, “I’ve been a member of the European tour for nearly 30 years and I’ve won in the U.S. twice, didn’t take up membership there, you know, stayed on the European Tour.

“I enjoyed playing in Europe and that’s where I felt like I belonged. Covid came along, a lot of people went and started up in the States because of world ranking points and various things. But I stayed in Europe and played European tour events, to support them and you know add to those fields I suppose. So I clearly have a very different idea about loyalty than people who have said stupid things.

“I think a lot of those people are now starting to understand that they were being brainwashed by certain people with just purely financial motivations on their mind. They were making up these stories and trying to give people these ideas about us players that were going to LIV just to really forge their case with the public, and convince the public that we were bad and they were good.”

Known for his outspoken nature and defending his choices, Westwood has had several clashes with golf players and fans over the years regarding the LIV league.

Rory McIlroy’s Harsh Criticism

Before last year’s Ryder Cup, McIlroy commented: “It’s certainly a little strange not having them around but I think this week of all weeks it’s going to hit home with them they are not here. They are going to miss being here more than we’re missing them. This week is a realisation that the decision that they made has led to not being a part of this week and that’s tough.

Tiger Woods

SEE MORE: Tiger Woods Falls Terribly Short Against Jack Nicklaus as Olympics Theory Proves the 84YO Legend’s Dominance Yet Again

“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. I always thought leading up to this week is when it’s going to hit home that they are not going to be here.”

Westwood didn’t hesitate to respond to criticism from figures like McIlroy and Woods regarding his move to the LIV series, pointing out to Eurosport that the PGA’s new TGL ‘high-tech golf league’ seemed to be taking a leaf out of LIV’s book. He said: “I laugh at what the PGA Tour players have come up with. It’s just a copy of what LIV is doing.

“There are a lot of hypocrites out there. They all say LIV is ‘not competitive’. They all point at the no-cut aspect of LIV and the ‘short fields’. Now, funnily enough, they are proposing 20 events that look a lot like LIV. Hopefully, at some point they will all choke on their words. And hopefully, they will be held to account as we were in the early days.”

In response to Tiger Woods’ remarks that LIV stars had “turned their back on what allowed them to get to this position”, Westwood retorted: “The LIV players will talk the LIV tour up, the PGA players that aren’t on the LIV tour will talk the PGA Tour up and put down the LIV tour. I don’t pay too much attention to people’s opinions. Tiger is entitled to his opinion.”

Westwood has also been involved in verbal spats with other players. Eddie Pepperell criticized him on social media last August, responding to the OWGR rankings – which he wasn’t included in – with a cry-laughing emoji.

Pepperell didn’t find it funny, instead criticizing Westwood’s decision to play in the LIV Golf league for substantial sums of money.

Tiger Woods VS RORY MCLLORY

Pepperell, 33, wrote: “I’ll tell you what’s a joke Lee; you earning 3X the average annual UK salary in one week for shooting +20 over 3 rounds,” to which Westwood replied: “PIP? Miss that one did you? Monday simulator games? Miss that one too? ” This was a jab at the PGA’s Player Impact Program – a bonus pool that rewarded the tour’s top players in 2021.

Pepperell shot back: “It’s all laughable. From you earning £100k last week for playing like a turnip to the TGL/PIP. Pro golf has degraded itself to being just about the money. Maybe it always has been and I’m naïve, but it isn’t doing much to improve the sport and genuinely ‘grow the game’.”

The debate heated up, but Westwood stood his ground, later firing back: “You know who’s responsible for all of this! Me and @IanJamesPoulter asked all the questions at the Players meeting at Wentworth and you sat right in front of me bowing your head like a nodding donkey while KP was spouting his political head/master s****.”

In 2022, Westwood also found himself in a heated exchange with former Sunderland footballer Gordon Armstrong, who shockingly likened Westwood’s move to LIV Golf to match-fixing in soccer. In a sharp retort, Westwood said: “You’ve likened playing for another league to someone who commits a criminal offence of throwing football matches? What an amazing grasp of reality! I’m sure your employers will be thrilled to hear this logic.”

Initially, Armstrong hit back with: “You took loads more money when you really don’t need it, which I never said was criminal, like Jon Rahm said you guys could never spend all your money, what I said was it has completely spoilt your reputation as a legend of European Golf,” but he eventually removed the tweet.

Armstrong came back later to offer an apology for his remarks, stating: “Apologies the bit about other footballers went too far,” which Westwood acknowledged and accepted.

RELATED: Steve Williams’ Gutsy Move Made Tiger Woods Win Legendary 2008 US Open; Ex-Caddie Revealed in 2015 Memoir

With the Wyndham Championship now over, the focus shifts to the first FedEx Cup Playoff event. The field for the St. Jude Championship is ready after the conclusion of the FedEx Cup regular-season events. Does the top 125 include Tiger Woods?

The 15-time major champion has won four FedEx Cup Playoff events. Only Dustin Johnson (6), and Rory McIlroy (5) have won more than the 48-year-old. Twice has he been the FedEx Cup champion since the playoff started in 2007. Only Rory McIlroy (3) has more FedEx Cup champion titles than him (3).

However, despite having a decorated career, Tiger Woods won’t tee off at TPC Southwind this week. Actually, the 82-time PGA Tour winner has never teed off at the first FedEx Cup event since it was rebranded as the St. Jude Championship. In his former avatar, the Northern Trust, Woods has played 11 times, with two runner-ups to his name.

Nevertheless, since his near-fatal car crash, Woods has rarely teed off in regular season events. Naturally, his FedEx Cup ranks have dwindled. This year, the former world no.1 is 223rd in the FedEx Cup rankings. More importantly, Woods seems to saving up energy only for the majors. Is it realistic to expect him in the FedEx Cup Playoffs anytime soon?

Can Tiger Woods tee off in the FedEx Cup Playoffs next year?

The 15-time major champion hinted that the Open Championship would be his last competitive outing this season. Staying true to his words, Tiger Woods confirmed from Royal Troon that he won’t be teeing off until the PNC Championship with his son, Charlie. He jokingly dubbed it his ‘fifth major’. Then comes the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, the invite-only tournament he hosts at his Albany resort.

TIGER WOODS

However, it’s worth noting that Tiger Woods can tee off at all the Signature events next year. Recently, the PGA Tour board agreed to extend a lifetime exemption to the 48-year-old, considering his impact and achievements throughout the last three decades. However, it’s a matter of deliberation how much of that privilege Tiger Woods is going to avail of. He decided to skip regular events, hoping to stay injury-free in the majors. At the same time, Woods also admitted that a that a lack of competitive outings has blunted his sharpness.

Quite rightly, Woods dubbed it a ‘pick your poison’ moment. If the veteran golfer can cut short the recovery window after each tournament and if his body permits teeing off twice a month, Tiger Woods and his fans can realistically think of a FedEx Cup playoff appearance.

Even then, with a limited schedule, the 15-time major champion needs to secure a handful of top-10s and perhaps a victory to earn his way into the FedEx Cup bubble. But, of course, that depends on too many ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ at this point.

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