February 16, 2020
Tiger Woods Considering Joining New Premier Golf League
There is a new, proposed golf league being formed and after being approached by them, Tiger Woods is thinking about playing in it, according to ESPN.
The Premier Golf League is proposing an 18-event tour from January to September. Each event would be 54 holes and have no cuts. The weekly $10 million in prize money would appeal to a 48-player field before a season-ending championship. The total prize fund for the tournament will be $240 million. The tour would probably have an impact on the PGA Tour and European Tour if it the league materializes.
“My team’s been aware of it and we’ve delved into the details of it and are trying to figure it out just like everyone else,” Woods said Tuesday at Riviera Country Club, where he is hosting a tournament. “We’ve been down this road before with World Golf Championships and other events being started. There’s a lot of information that we’re still looking at and whether it’s reality or not, but just like everybody else, we’re looking into it.”
As expected, there is a slight pushback from the PGA Tour organizers. In late January, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan warned players that competing in the Premier Golf League could lead to disciplinary measures and loss of eligibility with the Tour. “If the Team Golf Concept or another iteration of this structure becomes a reality in 2022 or at any time before or after,” Monahan said in an email, “our members will have to decide whether they want to continue to be a member of the PGA Tour or play on a new series.”
Woods also added, “I think that just like all events, you’re trying to get the top players to play more collectively. It’s one of the reasons why we instituted the World Golf Championships, because we were only getting together five times a year, the four majors and The Players, and we wanted to showcase the top players on more than just those occasions. We came up with the World Golf Championships and we’re meeting more often.
“So this is a natural evolution, whether or not things like this are going to happen, but ideas like this are going to happen going forward, whether it’s now or any other time in the future.’’