Check in every week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in the sport, and join the conversation by tweeting us at @golf_com. This week, we discuss what to expect from Tiger Woods at the Genesis, his late mother’s impact on his career, LIV’s major exemption and more.
Kultida Woods, the mother to 15-time major champion Tiger Woods, died on Tuesday morning, Tiger announced on social media. “She was my biggest fan, greatest supporter, without her none of my personal achievements would have been possible,” Woods wrote. How did Tida’s influence help raise Tiger, the golfer?
Jack Hirsh, associate equipment editor (@JR_HIRSHey): I don’t think you can oversell Tida’s influence on Tiger, especially when you consider his whole tradition of Sunday red came from her. When Tiger was a junior, she would walk with him as he practiced and kept his score and added shots when he would throw clubs or curse. Hard to argue that didn’t contribute to him becoming the ultimate competitor.
Josh Schrock, writer (@Schrock_And_Awe): While Tiger’s father, Earl Woods, was often presented as the 15-time major winner’s biggest influence, there’s no question Tida was the true force behind Tiger’s monumental career. Tida was always there whenever Tiger competed, including his first two TGL matches, and instilled in him the killer instinct that defined him. Tida once told Sports Illustrated in 2000: “I said, ‘Go after them, kill them. When you’re finished, now it’s sportsmanship. Before that, go for that throat. Don’t let your opponent up.’” The things that made Tiger Tiger came from Tida.
Zephyr Melton, assistant editor (@zephyrmelton): My coworkers covered it beautifully above. Ultimately, only Tiger can say for certain how much his mother meant to him, but it’s safe to say that she played a significant role in shaping him into who he is today. May she rest in peace.
Do you have any specific Tida/Tiger moments that stand out to you?
Hirsh: I’m sorry, but it’s not a positive one. The look of disappointment on Tida’s face during Tiger’s 2010 press conference apology after his infidelity scandal is a look I will never forget.
Schrock: Very sentimental from Jack. Two moments stick out to me. The first one is when Tiger won the 2019 Masters. The first person he hugs coming off the green is his son Charlie, and the next is Tida. She was there in 2019, just as she was when he won in 1997. “It’s amazing. It’s 22 years. Life goes on,” Woods said of that moment. “There’s one continuity: My mom was there. I said, ‘We did it. I love you so much, Mom.’”
The second moment came a week before her passing as she sat at the SoFi Center and watched Woods’ Jupiter Links team play Rory McIlroy’s Boston Common Golf. There was Tida sitting and watching her son compete in a simulator league that he built, smiling as Woods promised he “wouldn’t suck” as he did in his first TGL match. No matter the stage or the stakes, she was always there for Tiger.
Melton: Gotta be the scene after Tiger won his latest green jacket at the 2019 Masters. Seeing Tiger interact with his family — and especially Tida — after that win was a goosebump-inducing moment.
Speaking of Tiger, he’s back in action this week, hosting and playing the Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines. What do you expect from Tiger this week, and how does the change in venue (from Riviera to Torrey) affect his chances?
Hirsh: Well, looking for 30,000 feet, the move to Torrey is great for him, considering he’s won eight times at Torrey and zero times at Riviera. That said, the forecast for La Jolla next week is not looking good, and for a 49-year-old with a fused ankle and like 18462753 back surgeries, highs in the 50s, and rain is not a good recipe. I don’t expect to see the 181 mph ball speed pop we saw in his last TGL match that took place indoors in Palm Beach. I’d be surprised if he made the cut.
Schrock: I agree with Jack. Woods has great history at Torrey, but his form over the past five years, coupled with the ankle and back surgeries and the poor cold weather, give us no reason to believe he’ll contend at the Genesis. A made cut and four complete rounds is as much as we can hope for, but I’d love to be wrong.
Melton: Moving to Torrey is great in terms of Tiger’s past results at the venue, but not so good when considering the weather. As Tiger has aged, he’s struggled more and more with cool-weather environments, and Torrey promises to be just that. He might make the cut, but anything beyond that (say, a top 25) would be a surprise to me.
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and player/player director Adam Scott visited President Donald Trump at the White House last week, and Tiger Woods reportedly played golf with the president on Sunday. “We asked the president to get involved [in PIF negotiations] for the good of the game, the good of the country, and for all the countries involved,” the statement, signed by Monahan, Scott and Woods, read. “We are grateful that his leadership has brought us closer to a final deal, paving the way for reunification of men’s professional golf.” Is this all a strong indicator that a resolution is near?
Hirsh: I don’t think it’s a surprise that after Trump took office, things on the PIF investment into the PGA Tour have started moving again. Most expect the Trump administration to take a much softer regulatory approach to antitrust than the Biden Administration. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the deal finally go through before the end of 2025. Whether that’s a good thing or not, I’m still not quite sure, but I think everyone is in agreement we need to see Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, etc. play Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, etc. more often than four times a year.
Schrock: It depends how you define “near.” Things certainly look better for the merger with the Trump administration overseeing it than the Biden admin. Plus, given Trump’s love of golf, there’s no question he’d like to take credit for helping unify the game. But we still don’t know what that resolution will look like, how everything comes together, and the timeline for it once all the T’s are crossed and the I’s are dotted. Things are moving, but I still fear we’re not close to bringing everyone back together, which the game desperately needs.
Melton: Who the hell knows? At this point, I won’t believe the game has been brought back together until I see it with my own eyes. We’ve had plenty of statements and reports over the last few years that things are close, but as of yet, there’s been very little substance to show for it.
The USGA announced it will add LIV Golf exemptions into the U.S. Open, the first time a major-championship running organization has created a pathway specifically for LIV players. Do you like the logistics of this one? And do you see other majors following suit?
Hirsh: I think I agree with the methods here because it takes into account LIV’s lack of depth by making sure it’s only a top-3 player on LIV who gets into the Open. This would greatly help a guy like Jaco Niemann. I’m a bit surprised the USGA isn’t offering more than 10 exemptions into Final Qualifying because while I don’t think LIV has all that deep of a pool of talent, I think a vast majority of them are good enough they don’t need to play in local qualifying. I think other majors will adopt similar pathways for LIV players.
Schrock: When you look at the details of the exemption (top-3 player), it’s not a seismic acceptance of LIV as a competitive tour that’s on the same level as its other competitors. But it does give top players like Joaquin Niemann and Tyrell Hatton a pathway, and that is good for the game. I like how the USGA went about it and I’d expect the R&A to follow suit with a similar exemption. The PGA of America seems to feel good about its ability to hand out exemptions to players it deems worthy, so I’m not sure they’ll change their criteria. The wild card is Augusta National. Will the Masters open up a specific LIV exemption or continue to invite players who they deem worthy at their discretion without putting a label on it?
Melton: I like it because it gives fans a better chance to see some of the defectors who were otherwise not exempt. I’d expect similar exemptions from the other majors in the coming months. Hopefully it quiets the talking point that the majors don’t have the best players in the field without LIV players.
