This week Tiger Woods and 19 other golfers will tee it up in the Bahamas for the Hero World Challenge. In addition to Tiger Woods being in the field, Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, and many more top-20 ranked players in the world will also play. There are starting to be some bread crumbs that Tiger is gearing up for 2024. The days of Tiger playing in multiple events in a months are long gone. But reports are out that Tiger is planning on playing in "five or six" events this season. It appears that Tiger is gearing up for 2024, and it will give us a look into the rest of his career. Should it go well, I could see Tiger continuing this schedule for however long he believes he can compete. Should the body not respond the way he wants, it could be over.
This weekend at the Bahamas won't be the only time to watch Tiger before the end of the season. Tiger and his son, Charlie are both confirmed for the PNC Championship at the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando for mid-December. Those are 2 events on flat golf courses that are relatively easy to walk. However, walking doesn't seem to be as big of a problem for Tiger currently. Taylor Zarzour went on SiriusXM and is reporting that Tiger's limp is not nearly as noticeable and it's not as much of a problem for Tiger. So five or six events in 2024... what will they be? There is no way to really know, but here is my bet guess.
1. The Genesis Invitational (February 15-18)
Genesis has been a long time sponsor of Tiger Woods (and also the car he was driving when he shattered his leg). This tournament is also in Los Angeles, or technically just outside of LA, but Tiger views it as his home town and loves playing in the market.
2. Arnold Palmer Invitational (March 7-10)
March is a busy month with 2 elevated events on the PGA Tour. The Players is a more prestigious tournament, and just 2 weeks after the API. But Tiger understands his place in the game and that is in the conversation with Arnie, Jack, and the other 2 or 3 greatest players of all time. It also gives him an extra week of recovery before his favorite tournament.
3. The Masters (April 11-14)
Go ahead and lock this one in. Augusta National is one of Tiger's favorite courses in the world, and The Masters is his favorite tournament. 2023 saw terrible playing conditions and it was the course that ended his 2023 comeback. Tiger will want to play this event as long as his body allows.
4. PGA Championship (May 16-19)
This one is fairly easy to identify. The only event Tiger would consider playing in May would be the Wells Fargo in Charlotte the week prior to the PGA. But he hasn't played that tournament since his neck fusion surgery. He also won the PGA Championship at Valhalla in 2000.
5. The Open (July 18-21)
The year's final major will see Tiger back in the field after sitting out the US Open. The US Open is too demanding on the body for Tiger to play in. However The Open is a relatively easy walk. Going back to the historical importance of Tiger and understanding what Bobby Jones and previous greats went though to play in The Open, he will want to play as long as his body allows.
Maybe 6. The Memorial (June 6-9)
I think this will come down to how his body reacts after the Genesis, API, The Masters, and PGA Championship. If his body feels good and he wants to play, Jack's tournament would be the perfect place. And as I've said before, the US Open is a no-go for Tiger.
