PGA Tour’s Future Under Risk? Tiger Woods’s Win on the Latest Stat Report Hints Disappointing Days Ahead
Tiger Woods turned 48. An occasion that definitely calls for celebration. But it is also a sobering reminder that no other birthdays are celebrated with as much fanfare as Woods. The former World No. 1 is, arguably, past his prime. His body has started to ache now, and he doesn’t have as much energy as he used to have. Not that he doesn’t know an antidote to this, but admittedly, he doesn’t dream of dominating the courses like he once did. Realistically, Woods said, he could play once a month. And yet, once again, Woods, whether he wants it or not, still remains the representative of the PGA Tour (and also golf) to the world.
If you had any lingering doubt about the 15-time Major winner’s right on $12 million PIP money, let us tell you that Tiger Woods was still the most-googled golf entity of this year. In 44 out of 50 US states, Woods topped the chart. While his insane achievements on the greens have something to do with this, does it also hint at a deeper worry about the PGA Tour and, by extension, golf?
When Rory McIlroy won his fourth major in 2014, two in that season, the young kid from Northern Ireland was slated to take the mantle from Tiger Woods. His proximity to the legend also helped his case. However, it’s been nine years, yet a fifth major has been hard to come by. McIlroy came agonizingly close a few times, most recently in this year’s U.S. Open.
The Northern Irish pro, however, has taken up the mantle from Tiger Woods in a different form. But the on-the-greens success on the PGA Tour has taken a hit. Moreover, the broader acceptance that the 34-year-old used to enjoy has been divided due to his severe criticism of LIV Golf, the upstart league many of his former colleagues joined.
