PGA Tour News: Tiger Woods Announces His Return to Professional Golf this November

Written by: Tony Schwartz

Last Updated: November 18, 2023

Tiger Returns to Professional Golf in the Bahamas: Nov 30 - Dec 3rd 2023

The news is absolutely everywhere and people are excited to hear about the return of Tiger Woods to professional golf in the Bahamas at the Hero World Challenge - a tournament that he hosts. The Hero World Challenge is a unique format with a 20-man field competing for the title. Viktor Hovland is notably defending his championship after winning the tournament two years in a row. Other previous winners inculde Henrik Stenson (2019), Jon Rahm (2018), Rickie Fowler (2017), and others.

How Did Tiger's Return Come About?

Tiger's return to golf after a 2021 car accident has been a story of starts and stops with the sport's all-time greatest athlete making 4 cuts and only finishing two of those tournaments in full. Most recently in April, Tiger Woods had to withdraw from The Masters due to plantar fasciitis. As golf fans, we all longed for the return of Tiger Woods to professional golf because of the legacy, because what he means and represents for the sport of golf, and to continue to bear witness to the best that's ever put the ball in the hole (Let the 'Best Ever' comments start to roll in). And then, on November 18, 2023, I see my phone light up with notifications:

Based on reporting from the PGA Tour, Tiger's return could have been predicted by the more astute PGA Tour fanatics when the Hero World Challenge field of 19 players was released creating some speculation that Tiger may just hold the last spot for himself. Something that the PGA Tour has said Tiger's done in the past. Lo and behold, Tiger indeed rounds out the 20-man field to come back to the world of professional golf. Golf fans everywhere rejoice!

Many reports including Sports Illustrated cited Stewart Cink who said that TW was in full on "Go Mode". This is exactly what golf fans everywhere wanted to hear. Not only because of what his presence represents, but also because of the recovery he has had to endure to make a return to professional golf. It's a colossal and significant return after the journey that Tiger Woods has endured since 2021, and we must not forget about how difficult these past couple of years have been in the context of COVID. Considering the added process of recovering from a brutal car accident on top of COVID, we're witnessing greatness from Tiger Woods yet again. He emerges, yet again, as the next version of himself adapting to life's circumstances, his bodily constraints and opportunities, and standing among giants.

What Does Tiger's Return Mean for Professional Golf?

It's all to be determined at this point, right?! As with any all-time great, there will be haters who say that Tiger's return doesn't really matter, he's beyond his prime years, and that it's really just a PR stunt for the PGA Tour. And that's exactly what someone like Tiger Woods thrives from. So for anyone who is downplaying Tiger's return or even throwing shade at the man after enduring a recovery so long and intense that it would take out the best of people, this is only going to feed a competitive fire and spirit that athletes like Tiger Woods can capitalize on. No one is better at quieting the crowds.

Let's lean into the celebration of Tiger's return. What it exactly means for the competitiveness of the sport is yet to be determined, but we are hoping for a returned era of Tiger Woods, something that Jack Nicklaus was also famous for doing. We are hopeful, but we are not expectant that Tiger Woods will redeliver the legendary moments we have all come to love him for. Tiger doesn't owe golf fans anything after 15 major championships. But we're rooting for a return of epic proportions. We have witnessed Tiger's career as he's delivered awe inspiring moments that will live forever in the nostalgic threads of golf's tapestry.

This is great for Tiger, and that means it's great for golf.

Some of the questions we're left wondering from this reporting include: Will Tiger and Charlie compete in the PNC Championship? We hope so! Will Tiger's reemergence cause any pivots in the negotiation between the PIF and PGA Tour? Will those negotiations take on a new trajectory? Can Tiger win again? Never doubt the man.