Tiger Woods isn't teeing it up this week after undergoing his sixth back surgery in September but is on hosting duties at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, where he said he still has a "long way to go" to get back competing against the world's best players.
Woods addressed the media alongside Hero MotoCorp Executive Chairman Dr. Pawan Munjal in a 30-minute press conference where he discussed his health and plans for a return, the PGA Tour/PIF dealings, recent PGA Tour changes, the topic of Ryder Cup pay and more.
Here are the key points from Woods' first press conference in four-and-a-half months...
'NOT TOURNAMENT SHARP'
Woods appears to be back in the gym and improving in health but not enough to work on his game enough due to the rehab.
He admitted he isn't "tournament sharp" to play against the world's best players and said he had "a long way to go".
"Still not there. These are 20 of the best players in the world and I'm not sharp enough to compete against them. So when I'm ready to compete and play at this level, then I will.," he said.
"I am disappointed. I'm not physically ready yet to compete at this level. I still need to keep training to give myself the best chance into next year and the events ahead."
It was this event last year when he said he hopes to play once per month in 2024 but this time around he couldn't give a prediction, saying he "truly" doesn't know.
RYDER CUP PAY
Woods made it clear that the players should receive as much money as possible but only to give to charity and help grow the game and their local communities.
"we had the same conversation back in '99 and it was we didn't want to get paid, we wanted to give more money to charity, and the media turned it around against us and said we want to get paid," he said.
"What's wrong with being able to allocate more funds? I hope they get $5m each and donate it all to charity.
"The event is so big that I think we can give so much money to different charities and I've said that since 99 when we had the Brookline negotiations.
"If the Europeans want to pay to be in the Ryder Cup, that's their decision to do that, that's their team.
"I know when it's on European soil that it subsidizes most of their Tour, so it is a big event for the European Tour and if they want to pay to play in it, so be it."
PGA Tour-PIF TALKS
Woods said he thought a deal would happen quicker but stressed that even if they had got a deal it would still be in the DOJ's hands.
He also daid talks are "fluid", "constructive" and "happening daily", and that in the end we'll get "peace the game desperately needs."
"This is an active negotiation and things are happening daily, weekly and it's evolving. We all want to get past this and do what's best for the tour and trying to do that some eggs are going to be knocked over and it's going to be a little bit difficult some times.
"I think something will get done. In what form or shape I don't know yet."
ON PRE-SURGERY PAIN
Woods opened up on the pain he felt during the season, saying he didn't expect his back to go in 2024 after a successful ankle fusion surgery last year and setting a goal of one event per month.
"I didn't think my back was going to go like it did this year. It was quite painful throughout the end of the year and hence I had another procedure done to it to alleviate the pain I had going down my leg," he said.
"As the year went on, it just kept progressively getting worse to the point where it just wasn't getting better either from treatments or laying around resting or even activations. Nothing felt good and the MRI showed that.
"The relief I had, I didn't have a spasm, I didn't have the nerve pain, so that was fantastic, but also understood that I still have a long road ahead of me of rehab and recovery.
"I wish I hadn't known this, but I know it very well and I know the process, I know how long it's going to take. We'll continue doing all the gym work and continue doing all the protocols and eventually it will lead to something where I can compete again."
PGA TOUR CHANGES WERE 'UNANIMOUS'
Woods said the recently announced PGA Tour changes for 2026, which include 100 cards instead of 125, fewer Korn Ferry Tour graduates and other streamlining measures, were easily voted through.
"I'll say the majority of the Tour felt the same way. The PAC was involved, the subcommittees on the PAC were involved and it was unanimous across the board what we need to do to present a better product and something better for our fans, for our events, our sponsors," he said.
"Redefining what a Tour pro is, streamlining that. Yes, playing opportunities have been reduced at certain parts, but also then again we also have player equity in this as well -- involved as well, which has never happened before. So the players who are playing, they're going to get well compensated going forward, which that was never the case."
'THAT'S PART OF AGE' - ADMITS BODY WON'T RECOVER LIKE IT USED TO
"The fire still burns to compete. The difference is the recovery of the body to do it is not what it used to be. I still love doing it, I love competing, I love competing in anything whether we're playing cards or we're playing golf. No matter what it is, I love competing. That's never going to leave," he said.
"But as far as the recovery process of going out there and doing it again and again and again and doing it consistently at a high level, I can't, for some reason the body just won't recover like it used to. That's part of age and part of an athlete's journey."
WOODS DUE IN SOON
Tiger Woods will be speaking to the media at 9am ET. We'll keep you updating with everything he says.
Woods will be, as always at this event, speaking alongside Dr. Pawan Munjal, the Executive Chairman of the tournament's sponsor, Hero MotoCorp.
WHAT WILL WE LEARN TODAY?
Firstly, we'll get a good idea of where Tiger's body is at after his sixth back surgery in September. We'll likely get a hint as to whether he'll be teeing it up at the PNC Championship with Charlie later this month and hopefully hear any early schedule plans for 2025.
It was this event last year where Woods said he hoped to play one event a month in 2024...which sadly did not come true.
We'll also hear updates on the PGA Tour's deal with the Saudi PIF as well as his excitement for the upcoming TGL.
TIGER HAS ARRIVED
WOODS SMILING
Woods, wearing a salmon pink polo and white cap, is looking in a very good mood alongside Dr. Pawan Munjal.
Munjal has the floor.
HERO PARTNERSHIP CONTINUES TO 2030
After 10 years of partnership with the event, Munjal announces that Hero will remain as sponsor for the event until 2030.
WOODS ON HERO
Woods says the extension is "truly amazing."
He thanks Hero for helping his foundation and says he is excited to host the event this week.
'NOT TOURNAMENT SHARP'
"Still not there. These are 20 of the best players in the world and I'm not sharp enough to compete against them."
GOAL FOR 2025
Didn't think his back would go like it did this year, says it was quite painful towards the end of the season.
"I truly don't know," he says on 2025 schedule.
HOPES TO BE STRONGER NEXT YEAR
Woods says he hopes to "build upon" his successful surgery next year but isn't making any concrete statements on his plans.
WOODS ON HIS BODY:
"I am disappointed. I'm not physically ready yet to compete at this level. I still need to keep training to give myself the best chance into next year and the events ahead."
ON PGA TOUR/PIF NEGOTIATIONS
Says we all thought it would happen quicker but even if they had got a deal it would still be in the DOJ's hands.
Says talks are "fluid", "constructive" and "happening daily."
ON HIS BACK
"Fantastic" not to have spasms and nerve pain but understands he has a long way ahead after another back procedure.
Will continue all the gym work and protocols before hopefully it will lead to him competing again.
As the year went on it progressively was getting worse the more he played and as the year went on. Resting, treatments didn't help - "nothing felt good and the MRI showed that."
DOES HE HAVE A TARGET FOR RETURN?
"I don't. I really don't. I'm just progressively trying to test it, keep making progress without setting it off. I don't want to have any setbacks.
"I've got a long way to go to compete against these guys."
ON PGA TOUR CHANGES
"The majority of the tour felt the same way. The PAC and subcommittees were involved and it was unanimous across the board on what we need to do to present a better product for the fans, our events, our sponsors.
"Playing opportunities have been reduced but player equity involved as well which has never happened before so the players who are playing will get well compensated, which was never the case."
"I'm not tournament-sharp yet."Tiger Woods begins his remarks at the Hero World Challenge with an update on his health, and why he decided not to play this week. pic.twitter.com/bN3B8xPJlqDecember 3, 2024
ON RYDER CUP PAY:
"We had the same conversation in 99 and it was 'we didn't want to get paid, we want to give more money to charity' and the media turned it against us.
"What's wrong with being able to allocate more funds?
"I hope they get $5m each and donate it all to charity."
DOES THE FIRE STILL BURN?
"The fire still burns to compete. The difference is the recovery of the body to do it is not what it used to be. I still love doing it, I love competing whether it's cards or golf, I love competing.
"As far as the recovery process of doing it again and again and again, for some reason the body won't recover like it used to. That's part of age and part of an athlete's journey."
HOW TO IMPROVE THE PRODUCT FOR FANS?
Says we're trying to "activate" fan feedback.
"We're moving on the fly to try and give everyone the best product we can and give the game peace that it needs. This has been a very difficult time for the game of golf. A lot of it has been distractions in the beauty of the game of golf and obviously we're trying to unify that."
RYDER CUP PAY:
"The event is so big that I think we can give so much money to different charities and I've said that since 99 when we had the Brookline negotiations.
"If they [Europeans] want to pay to play in it, so be it."
ON THE GYM
Says he still loves the gym and is "ramping" back up again.
"I miss being in the gym. I miss doing the work-outs. That's part of training, that's what makes sports awesome, the mental toughness to be in the gym on those days when you don't want it.
Those days in the gym made me win those events when I was tired, win events when I was jet-lagged."
ON PIF-DPWT TALKS
"This is an active negotiation and things are happening daily, weekly and it's evolving. We all want to get past this and do what's best for the tour and trying to do that some eggs are going to be knocked over and it's going to be a little bit difficult some times."
Says in the end we'll get "peace the game desperately needs."
"The recovery (of the body) is not what it used to be."Tiger gives insight into his recovery process and what continues driving him to compete at the highest level. pic.twitter.com/sxQ42fdkIJDecember 3, 2024
CONFIDENCE OF A DEAL GETTING DONE:
"I think something will get done. In what form or shape I don't know yet."
TIGER WRAPS UP DISCUSSING HIS RECOVERY:
"Sitting on the sideline is one of the harder things to do."
"It was unanimous across the board on what we need to do to present a better product." Tiger on changes to PGA TOUR eligibility and field sizes going forward. pic.twitter.com/MFHwthenwKDecember 3, 2024
