With Tiger Woods just days away from turning 50, speculation is mounting that the 15-time major winner will have a full schedule at the 2026 PGA Tour Champions.
Earlier this month, Woods stopped making any commitments about how often he would compete on the senior circuit, but it is believed that the use of carts and a 54-hole format in most events could make it more appealing than on the PGA Tour.
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“Once you get a feel for the practice, the explosion, the play, the recovery process, you can evaluate where to play and how much to play,” Woods said at the Hero World Challenge at his Albany club, where he is the host. “I’m far from that part, that kind of decision, that kind of commitment level.”
World Golf Hall of Famer Lanny Wadkins, who won the ACE Group Classic in his Champions Tour debut in 2000 and was a caster for more than a decade, believes Woods will become a regular.
“For the most part, everyone who turns 50 goes out,” Wadkins said. “Phil Mickelson was like that until he went to LIV, and Ernie Els supported LIV and played almost every week. We’ve got Hall of Famers all over the place.”
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February 24, 2019; Mexico City, Mexico; Tiger Woods hits a shot from the seventh tee during the final round of the WGC Mexico Championship golf tournament at Club de Golf Chapultepec. Required Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Wadkins added that Woods’ close friend John Cook had hinted that Tiger would play in more than just the senior major. He also outlined a potential timeline.
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“Let’s not forget how many times Tiger won at Firestone (site of the Kaulig Companies Championship),” Wadkins said.
“He also won the Buick Open at Warwick Hills, which is where the Alley Challenge is now, and he loved playing there. He grew up across the street in Big Canyon, so if he were to play in Newport I’d be surprised if he doesn’t play at the Insperity Invitational in Houston because he just signed a big contract.
“So just thinking about those things and going to the Senior Open, the U.S. Senior Open and maybe the Senior PGA, I might be able to win Tiger 10 to 12. I really hope that happens.”
more: If Tiger Woods plays on the PGA Tour Champions in 2026, will the circuit be ready for him?
Lanny Wadkins on the practice range during the PNC Father/Sun Challenge at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando on Wednesday.
Wadkins, who won the PNC Championship with his son Tucker in 2015, said Woods has plenty of motivation.
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“Number one, he’s still competitive. Number two, I think he’s going to really enjoy it,” Wadkins said. “And the other thing, I think this is for me and my boys, is that Tiger will want to continue playing so that when he goes to college he can compete with Charlie.”
Wadkins recently completed renovations to TPC Craig Ranch near Dallas, which has hosted the CJ Cup Byron Nelson for the past five years. He admits he still wishes he could have played at PNC.
“Listen, I’m angry that PNC is on the list when there are so few participants on the Champions Tour,” he said. “So I won PNC, so I won’t be invited anymore. I’m going to be pounding away with my kids.”
In fact, Wadkins has floated the idea of a Champions version of PNC with a larger field.
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“I always thought the Champions should have their own version of that tournament,” Wadkins said. “We’ll have great support. We could start with players who have won regular tour majors and then add senior major winners. That would be a huge success. It’s above my pay grade, but I don’t understand why it hasn’t happened yet.”
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Tiger Woods on the Champions Tour? Lanny Wadkins says yes.
