Tiger Woods’ return to competitive golf said to be possible as Ernie Els reveals details of chat

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Tiger Woods’ seemingly imminent return to golf was the story of the build-up to The Masters.

The 15-time major winner and greatest golfer of all time was set to make a return from injury to play at Augusta National this year, but after his driving incident weeks before, he ruled himself out of competitive action for the foreseeable future.

It’s felt extremely unlikely that Woods plays competitively any time soon, but according to Ernie Els, he’s been having conversations about a return to play, and is warming to the idea of playing outside of the main PGA Tour.

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Tiger Woods ‘warming’ to playing on Champions Tour

Woods recently had his 50th birthday, meaning he’s now eligible to play on the PGA Tour Champions if he wants to.

In the past he’s always sought a return to the main tour, as he still feels like he can compete in the biggest events against the best players. But according to four-time major winner Ernie Els, Woods has been warming to the idea of the Champions Tour in their recent conversations.

Els was asked if he sees Woods joining the Champions Tour, and he replied, “He’s always welcome; he knows that. We had the discussion about the Champions Tour, and he asked me about it, and he started warming to it.

“He’s a busy guy; he’s got a lot of responsibility. He’s always been very busy, shifting around the last four or five years, a lot of stuff behind the scenes. I’ll keep knocking on his door. I think this is the type of golf course that would really suit him.”

Woods, even at 50, is a needle mover wherever he plays, so watching him go up against his old rivals on the Champions Tour would be an incredible spectacle.

But first he needs to return to full health, which is a tall task in itself.

What Tiger Woods has said publicly about playing on the Champions Tour

Woods said that one of the biggest things affecting his return to golf is his inability to walk the golf courses. But luckily on the PGA Tour Champions, the use of golf carts is allowed.

That’s why it’s an attractive prospect for Woods, who hasn’t committed to playing the tour by any means, but has admitted it’s on his mind.

Speaking at this year’s Genesis Invitational, he said, “I’ve had a fused back and now a disc replacement, so it’s challenging. And now I entered a new decade, so that number is starting to sink in and has us thinking about the opportunity to be able to play in a cart.

“That’s something that, as I said, I won’t do out here on this tour because I don’t believe in it. But on the Champions Tour, that’s certainly that opportunity.”

It’s hard to picture Woods playing at a major championship any time soon, but the Champions Tour might be exactly the environment he needs to get back to full playing health.

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