Armed with a motorised cart, Tiger Woods is set to rev up golf in a new way as the 15-times major winner ponders a place on the PGA’s Champions Tour.
That’s the belief of his one-time Australian playing partner Cameron Percy, who is predicting Woods will be a sensation on the seniors circuit when he becomes eligible next year.
With the PGA Tour becoming too demanding for the 48-year-old following several rounds of career-saving back surgery and ankle fusion after his 2021 car accident, the prospect of playing 50-and-over tournaments is said to be appealing to the former world No.1.
“I think he’s going to come out and play because out there they’re having more and more events in carts,” Percy said on a zoom call from the US on Thursday.
“So the walking side of it is what basically he can’t do and, if he can play in a cart, he can play as good as anyone.
“From an eight iron in, he’s still unbelievable. He’s still as good as anyone in the world.
“But just playing majors and PGA Tour events, we don’t play in carts. So it’s just a pure physical fatigue of his leg which gets him.
“So if he can play in a cart, he’s going to play.”
Woods dragged his battered body around Augusta National last month to make the cut for a record-breaking 24th straight time.
But the course’s infamous slopes eventually wore him down as the five-time champion eventually finished last among those who made the weekend.
He remains the Pied Piper of the fairways, though, and appearances on the Champions Tour would generate massive galleries and TV revenue, and likely attract more interest than the PGA Tour itself.
“It was amazing at the Masters just how people still love watching him play,” Percy told AAP ahead of his own Champions Tour debut at next week’s Senior PGA Championship in Michigan.
“I mean, he’s unbelievable still. He just doesn’t have the power he used to. He doesn’t murder the par-5s anymore like the top players do.
“But the fades against the right or left wind and the draws against the left or right, he can still do all that sort of stuff.
“He’s still got the skills but just not the power anymore.”
Despite his popularity with fans, Percy said Woods would never accept any special dispensation to use a golf cart even at Augusta.
“He’d be way too proud to,” Percy said.
“He just wouldn’t do it just because he’s like, ‘I want to do it the proper way and all that sort of stuff. I don’t want any favours or anything like that’.
“So even if they let him, he’d say ‘No, I’m not doing it’. He’d be too embarrassed if he won.”
Woods is contesting just his third official tournament in more than a year this week and will play the opening two rounds of the PGA Championship starting on Thursday night with Australian great Adam Scott.
