The post Sun Day Red debuts ‘Spring Traditions’ collection for Masters week appeared first on Golf.

The post Sun Day Red debuts ‘Spring Traditions’ collection for Masters week appeared first on Golf.

The new Sun Day Red “Spring Traditions” collection is packed with nods to Tiger Woods’ legacy used at Augusta National. There’s a commemorative staff bad, Sunday bag, headcovers, T-shirts, polos, hoodies and more. Let’s check it out.

Pioneer Willow LE Golf Shoes

I didn’t get a chance to check out the Pioneer Willow golf spikes when they came out, but it looks like I’ve now doubled up on my Sun Day Red swag with a pair of the limited edition Pioneer Willow golf spikes. They’ve opted to highlight the Yellow Jasmine over the Azalea, which I actually love. I think the Azalea, although classic, can get a bit overplayed.

The Sun Day Red Pioneer Willows come stock with Softspikes Pulsar spikes, which are a favorite of Woods. The soles are covered with Yellow Jasmine flowers surrounding nine Fast Twist 3.0 spike insertion points. I’ve worn the original Pioneer Cypress on the course a bunch and this pattern is very stable. Having four spikes in the heel allows for a good weight shift, and making sure that a toe spike is included is always a benefit. That’s your last line of defense from slipping backwards in your golf swing.

Sun Day Red Pioneer Willow LE

Welcome to Spring Traditions. The Pioneer Willow arrives at one of golf’s most celebrated moments, dressed for the occasion. Where performance meets the season’s finest expression of style.

$275 from Sun Day Red

The outsole is decorated in a speckle pattern with yellow and green color splashes and specks, and the entire shoe is trimmed out in a very “Augusta” green way. Red accents are highlighted throughout the shoe — mainly in the logos — with a hint of red in the eyelets at the top of the shoe as well.

Also included in the box are the massaging insoles with the option to swap out the stock ones if you wish. I love them. Walking in the shoes makes a huge difference and it was a deciding factor in if I was going to keep my Pioneer Cypress in the playing rotation or not.

My first experience with the Sun Day Red apparel

Along with the shoes, Sun Day Red sent over a few of the polos from the collection as well as a hoodie and a hat. The hat is a pretty standard adjustable 6-panel cap with the Sun Day Red logo in a nice PVC patch on the front.

I also received both “The Legend” and “Crosswind” polos. “The Legend” is a nod to Tiger’s 1991 gem of an outfit with a 3-color horizontal block pattern in green, navy and rose colors. The “Crosswind,” which I received in their rose color, is meant to help reduce heat with a moisture wicking fabric that’s also super breathable. Both polos are really comfortable and provide enough room within the size to fit before and after lunch, and they’re a nice weight. Not too heavy that it feels like its weighing you down, but not too light that it feels uncomfortable to move in. The polos also feature a nice level of stretch. Not so much that the polo starts really tight and hugs you (which is a problem I have with others), but enough that you can tell the stretch wasn’t designed for fit, it was designed for movement. Taking golf swings in either polo doesn’t create an discomfort.

1/3

2/3

3/3

Buy at Sun Day Red

I have to say, the “Icon Chain Stitch” hoodie is pretty cool. They really nailed the details. The large Sun Day Red logo mark on the chest is embroidered in a really cool gold colorway that stands out against the Deep Forest color that I was sent, along with a subtle gold Sun Day Red word mark on the hoodie and they’ve added gold metal aglets to the end of the hoodie laces for a little bit of extra bling. They describe this as a mid-weight hoodie. It feels nice and solid on the body, but with a bit of room and comfort to move around as well. If I were to throw this over one of the polos on a cold spring day here in Chicago, I could easily take this out on the golf course with me.

If you’re interested in shopping the entire collection which includes more accessories, colors, and other apparel you can visit the collection page on Sun Day Red’s website.

Sun Day Red Icon Chain Stitch Hoodie

A new icon, introducing our incredibly soft, midweight hoodie, engineered for versatility across a range of activities, both on and off course.

$160 from Sun Day Red

The post Sun Day Red debuts ‘Spring Traditions’ collection for Masters week appeared first on Golf.

The post ‘I’d tell him I love him’: Fred Couples reflects on Tiger Woods’ struggles appeared first on Golf.

The post ‘I’d tell him I love him’: Fred Couples reflects on Tiger Woods’ struggles appeared first on Golf.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Fred Couples knows something about pain. For nearly half of his 66 years he has battled debilitating back issues that at the Masters two years ago had him in such acute discomfort when hitting short irons that he warmed up with only his driver and 3-wood. In the first round, Couples was so miserable that he wanted to quit but resisted only because he didn’t want to throw his playing partners out of sync.

Tiger Woods, you’ve probably heard, also knows something about pain. No one can say with certainty exactly how many surgeries Woods has had in his professional career (somewhere between “a lot” and “a whole lot”), but we do know the most recent of his seven known back procedures came in October to treat a collapsed disc and compromised spinal canal.

When Woods was arrested for suspicion of DUI on March 27, he told police that he had taken prescription pain medication earlier in the day; police also found opioid pills in Woods’s pocket. On March 31, Woods said in a statement that he was stepping away from the game “to seek treatment and focus on my health” as he works “toward lasting recovery.” A day later, a Florida judge approved Woods’s request to travel overseas for “comprehensive inpatient treatment.” 

Chronic pain isn’t the only thing Couples and Woods have in common. They share a bond that dates to the 1997 Ryder Cup when Couples first took Woods under his wing. In the years since, Woods and Couples became Masters practice-round partners, dinner mates and text buddies. They even shared a caddie; Couples’ former looper, Joe LaCava, went on to spend a dozen years on Woods’s bag. In 2022, Woods referred to Couples as “my dad on Tour.”

So, when Couples wrapped his Monday practice round here at the 90th playing of the Masters Tournament, Woods — and his struggles — was a natural talking point. Couples had seen the unconfirmed reports that a private jet belonging to Woods was spotted in Switzerland but sounded uncertain of Woods’s whereabouts. “If he’s in Switzerland,” Couples told reporters, “he must be at a spot that’s going to help him and that’s the key thing.”

Couples said he texted Woods a few days after Woods’s car accident and subsequent arrest but didn’t feel like it was his place to pry for information. “For me now to get involved with this would not make much sense,” Couples said. “Doesn’t mean I’m not paying attention.”

Couples isn’t alone in that sense. Woods, who won his fifth Masters title in 2019, has played such an outsized role in the last 30 years of this annual rite of spring that it’s hard not think about him when you stroll this storied property. Bubba Watson, who has two green jackets of his own, said Monday he “always” pulls for Woods. “I told him from day one that we started hanging out back in ’06, ’07, somewhere in there, that I’m pulling for him as a human being,” Watson said. “Forget his golf, I could care less about his golf.”

News

Jason Day, who is playing in his 14th Masters and, like Woods, has battled back injuries, also was asked to reflect on Woods’s situation. “He’s not immune to [addiction] just because he can hit a golf ball really well,” Day said. “When you’re going through that many procedures, it’s painful coming out of those procedures. I’ve had procedures done and I typically try and stay away from all that stuff because I just know that —— painkillers, there can potentially be a downfall to it.”

The severity of Couples’ back pain has ebbed and flowed, but when it has been at its most persistent, he said Monday, it has affected his mood. “I used to snap at everyone,” Couples said. “Felt like someone was tapping me on the back all day long. After eight to 10 hours, you just can’t take it. It’s like a toothache.”

The pain became so bad in 2011 that Couples couldn’t sleep and reportedly was whispering to friends that he might be done with competitive golf. Drastic times called for . . . a trip to Dusseldorf, Germany, where Couples underwent a treatment called Orthokine therapy, which involves doctors creating an anti-inflammatory serum with the patient’s own blood. The procedure brought Couples relief — for a while, anyway. “I am sleeping,” he said a few months later. But the thing with chronic pain is it’s chronic. All you can do is manage it the best you can. Enjoy the more comfortable moments. Endure the uncomfortable ones.

Couples was asked Monday what he’d tell Woods if he could offer his old friend a word of counsel.

“I’d tell him I love him,” Couples said, “and things can always get better.”

The post ‘I’d tell him I love him’: Fred Couples reflects on Tiger Woods’ struggles appeared first on Golf.

The post Is Tiger Woods playing the 2026 Masters? appeared first on Golf.

The post Is Tiger Woods playing the 2026 Masters? appeared first on Golf.

Tiger Woods’ return to Augusta National will have to wait until 2027.

Following a two-car crash last Friday that led to his DUI arrest, Woods announced that he was “stepping away” to seek treatment and “focus on his health.”

“I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in today,” Woods said in a statement released on X. “I am stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health. This is necessary in order for me to prioritize my well-being and work toward lasting recovery. 

“I’m committed to taking the time needed to return in a healthier, stronger and more focused place, both personally and professionally. I appreciate your understanding and support, and ask for privacy for my family, loved ones and myself at this time.”

Prior to the crash and subsequent DUI arrest, Woods had been ramping up his rehab from October back surgery in hopes of teeing it up at Augusta National this week. The 15-time major champion recently made his TGL season debut in Jupiter Links’ championship loss to Los Angeles Golf Club and said he had been pushing as hard as possible to get his body ready.

“As I said, I’ve been trying,” Woods said after his TGL debut about playing the Masters. “Just this body is — it doesn’t recover like it did when it was 24, 25. It doesn’t mean I’m not trying. I’ve been trying for a while. I’ve had a couple bad injuries here over the past years that I’ve had to fight through and it’s taken some time. I keep trying. I want to play. I love the tournament. I’ve loved being there since I was 19 years old. It’s meant a lot to me and my family over the years. I’m going to be there either way with The Loop that’s going up there, as well as the Champions Dinner.”

News

Three days later, Woods crashed his car on a two-lane road in Jupiter, Fla. The crash came after Woods attempted to overtake a turning truck with a trailer attached. Woods flipped his Range Rover on its side after making contact with the trailer. When officers arrived on the scene, they observed Woods “sweating profusely” and appearing “lethargic and slow,” according to an affidavit obtained by GOLF. Woods was given a field sobriety test. He blew “.000” on the breathalyzer but refused to take a urine test. He was charged with Driving Under the Influence and pleaded not guilty.

After Woods’ announcement that he would be seeking treatment, Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley released a statement in support of the 82-time PGA Tour winner.

“Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament fully support Tiger Woods as he focuses on his well-being. Although Tiger will not be joining us in person next week, his presence will be felt her in Augusta.”

Woods did not play in last year’s Masters after rupturing his Achilles’ tendon in March. He has not played in a tournament since the 2024 Open Championship.

The 2026 Masters will be the first Masters without Woods or Phil Mickelson since 1994. Mickelson announced last Thursday that he would “be out for an extended period of time” as he and his family “work through a personal health matter.”

The 2026 Masters begins on Thursday, April 9.

The post Is Tiger Woods playing the 2026 Masters? appeared first on Golf.

The post This Masters will be unlike any other Masters in recent memory appeared first on Golf.

The post This Masters will be unlike any other Masters in recent memory appeared first on Golf.

The Masters does the long game about as well as Warren Buffett. Over the past 70 years, it has produced four absolutely magnetic champions: Arnold Palmer, who won the tourney four times; Jack Nicklaus, with his six titles; Phil Mickelson, who has three victories at Augusta; and Tiger Woods, who won his fifth (and most recent) green jacket in 2019. This year, for the first time since 1954, none of those players is competing in the event.

This year, for the first time since 1994, neither Mickelson nor Woods are in the field.

Of that foursome, only one will be on hand, Big Jack his own self, playing the ceremonial first shot on Thursday morning, beside Tom Watson (two-time winner) and Gary Player (three coats).

So this will be different. These next 20 or 30 or 40 years at Augusta will be different, too.

Palmer and Nicklaus were so revered at Augusta National that they were invited to join the club as dues-paying members, the only former winners to get such an invitation. In other words, they could come to the club as they wished, play the course, bring guests, stay in the cabins, tour the wine cellar without a chaperone. Woods and Mickelson, like all former winners, were honorary members. They still needed a host to play the course. Palmer and Nicklaus had direct ties to the club’s most important figures through its history, including the club’s founders (Bob Jones, Clifford Roberts); various prominent members (Dwight D. Eisenhower, Warren Buffett); and former winners from near and far (Gene Sarazen, Seve Ballesteros). There are plaques on the course honoring Palmer and Nicklaus, with short histories of their Augusta highlights.

Maybe plaques are coming for Mickelson and Woods, and they certainly deserve them for their stirring play at Augusta from over the decades, but it’s not likely they are coming anytime soon.

In the long history of the Masters, Tiger Woods is the only player who ever received a public scolding from a club chairman. That happened at the 2010 Masters, when Woods returned to public life and tournament golf in the wake of a scandal that had private life splashed all over tabloids across the world. The chairman then, Billy Payne, reading from a prepared statement at a Wednesday State-of-the-Masters press conference, said that Woods “had disappointed all of us” and that he had failed as a role model. Woods had a T4 finish that year.

From 1995, when he played as an amateur, through 2013, Woods played in every Masters. (It was in 2013 when he was given a two-shot penalty for taking an incorrect drop on the 15th hole of his Friday round. He had a T4 finish.) Woods didn’t play in 2014 while recovering from a back surgery. He didn’t play in 2016, following another back surgery. He didn’t play in 2017, reportedly for back issues. He didn’t play in 2021, following a harrowing Los Angeles car crash. He didn’t play last year, following surgery for a torn ruptured left-leg Achilles. Woods is not playing this year, following his March 27 DUI arrest in South Florida, near his Jupiter Island home.

Palmer played in 50 consecutive Masters tournaments, none as an amateur. Woods played in 19 straight from 1995 to 2013, including two as an amateur. Nicklaus played in 46 consecutive Masters tournaments, starting with three as an amateur. Mickelson played in the 1991 and ’93 Masters as an amateur, sat out ’94, then played in 27 consecutive events as a pro, from 1995 through 2021. Mickelson didn’t play in 2022 Masters, the year it was revealed that he was leaving his lifelong professional home, the PGA Tour, to join the global, Saudi-backed pro series, LIV Golf. There was an uproar then and Mickelson took a leave from the tournament play and public life for several months.

Lifestyle

“The past 10 years I have felt the pressure and stress slowly affecting me at a deeper level,” he said in statement then. “I know I have not been my best and desperately need some time away to prioritize the ones I love most and work on being the man I want to be.” Fred Ridley said at the 2022 Masters that the club did not “disinvite” Mickelson from the tournament. But it was an open secret in certain circles that Mickelson was not playing by mutual agreement. He was the reigning PGA champion then, which he had won at age 50. With the club’s encouragement, he likely would have played. In 2023, Mickelson returned to the tournament, was unusually quiet at the dinner and finished in a tie for second.

Mickelson is not playing this year. In a statement on Thursday, he said, “Unfortunately, I will not play in the Masters tournament next week and will be out for an extended period of time as my family continues to navigate a personal health matter. I wish everyone the best of luck and will be watching.”

Ridley responded with this statement: “We know how much Phil loves the Masters tournament, and he will be missed by everyone in Augusta next week. He has our complete supports as he takes time to be with his family.”

When Woods won the Masters in 2019, at age 43, his life seemed to be in such a good place, given where he was after his 2017 arrest and his years of back issues, along with other body parts. When Mickelson won the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island, becoming the oldest winner of a major, he seemed destined to become the closest thing golf had to a next Arnold Palmer. Both were guaranteed to become Ryder Cup captains, to be competitive in U.S. Senior Opens and other stately senior events and to enjoy the kind of adulation that Nicklaus and Palmer enjoyed for decades after their playing careers wrapped up. There’s no sign of that for now.

Michael Bamberger welcomes your comments at Michael.Bamberger@Golf.com

The post This Masters will be unlike any other Masters in recent memory appeared first on Golf.

The post Masters legend blasts Tiger Woods over crash, calls PGA Tour ‘weak’ appeared first on Golf.

The post Masters legend blasts Tiger Woods over crash, calls PGA Tour ‘weak’ appeared first on Golf.

As part of the fallout from Tiger Woods’ rollover car crash, the five-time Masters winner will not play the 2026 Masters next week. While many observers and golf organizations have expressed their support for Woods, one Masters legend and former Masters TV analyst is taking a much different tack.

Three-time Masters champion Nick Faldo unloaded on Woods, criticizing him for the car crash for which he was charged with DUI on a recent media call.

But he didn’t stop there. Faldo also went off on the PGA Tour for not holding Tiger accountable for his actions.

Nick Faldo criticizes Tiger Woods: ‘There has to be some accountability’

For much of this year, the golf world waited to hear whether or not Woods would make his return at the 2026 Masters. But now we know the answer.

On March 27, Woods was involved in a rollover crash near his Florida home and arrested and charged with DUI. Woods has pled not guilty to the charges.

Days after, Tiger announced he would be “stepping away” to seek treatment. The PGA Tour and Masters announced their support for Woods and praised him for his difficult decision.

But Faldo sees the situation differently. In a media call this week reported by The Independent and The Times, among other outlets, Faldo criticized both Woods and organizations that offered their support to the 15-time major winner.

He called the PGA Tour’s reaction “predictably weak.”

News

“There’s one side that’s like, ‘let’s care for Tiger’… there’s got to be a responsibility and accountability side as well,” Faldo said. “This is a serious thing he’s done, you know. The PGA Tour statement was so predictably weak, how they showed that the Tour will look after him, as they always have done, and then you’ve got Jack [Nicklaus] saying it’s tarnished the entire sport. You’ve got your opposites but there has to be some accountability.”

He continued: “Our sport is based on discipline. You rule yourself, you police yourself. I would have thought the PGA Tour — behind closed doors — must be very disappointed that they pay Tiger tens of millions to be on the course and off the course with this business role he has got.”

He saved some of his harshest criticism for Tiger himself and argued this was a “serious issue.”

“As a person, you know, look at his community. We’re not meant to be on the streets with two pills in our pocket,” Faldo said. “I think the world is divided quite a bit, but the bottom line is, I really think that something… this is a serious issue.”

He expressed sympathy for the fact that Woods is living in pain but also argued his injuries have been “self-inflicted.”

“I feel sorry for Tiger because he’s living in 24-7 pain. I asked him that years ago, even before the L.A. accident [in 2021], but it’s all been self-inflicted,” Faldo said.

“The bottom line is I really think that something should be done a little bit more serious than waving him off to a tropical island and saying ‘Welcome back’ in three or four months.”

News

Faldo said he believes Woods will return in a few months without facing consequences, which he explained would never happen to someone charged with a DUI in other businesses.

“If you were done for DUI a couple of times in your business, what would happen to you?” Faldo said. “I got a feeling, as I said, if he disappears and comes back in a couple of months, everything will carry on as normal, and I’m not sure if that’s right, not a good message to the kids of today.”

Ultimately, Faldo said Woods has “avoided accountability” because of “who he is.”

“I don’t know what I’d ask the official bodies to decide, but you would have thought in a normal walk of life there is some accountability for doing that, isn’t there?” Faldo said. “I guess he’s always been a special case, because of who he is and what he’s done, so I suppose he’s avoided that accountability.”

Faldo, who retired as CBS’s lead analyst after the 2022 season, is currently recovering from open-heart surgery he underwent earlier this year.

The post Masters legend blasts Tiger Woods over crash, calls PGA Tour ‘weak’ appeared first on Golf.

The post Tiger Woods’ arrest videos add eerie vividness to moments after crash appeared first on Golf.

The post Tiger Woods’ arrest videos add eerie vividness to moments after crash appeared first on Golf.

In the wake of Tiger Woods’ DUI arrest in South Florida last week, pundits and the public alike have expressed all kinds of emotions about the 15-time major winner’s actions. Anger is high on the list, because of Woods’ decision to yet again put lives at risk by getting behind the wheel in an allegedly impaired state. Empathy also has been expressed. Anyone who has had addiction in their lives knows the battles Woods has faced on the golf course pale next to what he has been fighting off of it.

On Thursday, the Records Unit of the Martin County Sheriff’s Office released body-camera footage of the arrest, giving any interested viewers a more vivid look at what happened in the moments after Woods flipped his Range Roger on a two-lane road in Jupiter on Friday afternoon. The footage is extensive and unsettling.

At 2:50 p.m. ET — this was about 50 minutes after the accident — an officer’s camera shows Woods at the end of a driveway. Woods is in an ocean-blue polo and shorts, and he has a compression sock over his right knee. He is on his phone.

“Mr. Woods!” the officer says, trying to get his attention.

As Woods approaches the officer, Woods ends his call and tells the officer, “I was just talking to the president.” It’s unclear whether Woods was referring to President Trump with whom he has a personal relationship. As Woods keeps walking and nears the end of the driveway, he is met by his longtime associate and friend, Rob McNamara.

Ten minutes later, at 3 p.m. ET, footage shows Woods seated on the push bumper of a patrol car. He is fielding questions from another officer, including whether he has had anything to drink earlier that day.

“None,” Woods says.

Officer: “Do you take any medications?”

Woods: “Yes, I take a few.”

Motrin, Woods says. Ibuprofen. Other parts of his response are redacted but police reported they found two pills of hydrocodone, a semi-synthetic opioid, in Woods’s pants pocket, a scene that comes to light later in the video.

Officer: “Did you take all of them today?”

Woods: “Yes.”

The officer then conducts a field sobriety test on Woods that is designed to detect involuntary eye jerking. Next comes a coordination test in which Woods extends his clenched fists, one on top of the other, in front of his chest.

By 3:11 p.m., the officer has made a determination. She asks Woods to face the hood of the car and put his hands behind his back.

As she applies handcuffs to Woods’ wrists, she says, “You’re under arrest for DUI.”

“You’re arresting me?” Woods says. He sounds incredulous.

“Yes, sir.”

Various cuts of the police footage have been shared by media outlets all over the world. Some show only the arrest; others include more mundane details, like police inspecting the trailer that Woods clipped and an unsuspecting cyclist approaching the scene to discover the road is blocked off. Throughout the arrest process, Woods is cordial and cooperative.

But he does not look well.

On Tuesday, Woods entered a not guilty plea to misdemeanor charges of DUI and refusal to submit to a lawful test. Later that day, he issued a statement that read: “I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in today. I am stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health. This is necessary in order for me to prioritize my well-being and work toward lasting recovery. I’m committed to taking the time needed to return to a healthier, stronger, and more focused place, both personally and professionally.”

On Wednesday, a Florida judge granted Woods permission to travel outside the U.S. to seek inpatient treatment. Woods’ attorney, Douglas Duncan, wrote in a court motion that his client required “intensive, highly individualized and medically integrated program.” The motion continued, “Ongoing medical scrutiny and public exposure create significant barriers to his care and would result in setbacks and an inability to fully engage in treatment.”

There is a chilling clip in the police footage that shows Woods cuffed in the back of a patrol car. Next stop: Martin County Jail. He has heavy eyes, persistent hiccups and a blanket over his shoulders. There is a moment when he grimaces, drops his head back onto the glass partition behind him and closes his eyes. We may never know what was running through Woods’ head in the cramped solitude of that back seat, but those images will endure.

The post Tiger Woods’ arrest videos add eerie vividness to moments after crash appeared first on Golf.

The post ‘We support his decision’: Tiger Woods turns down U.S. Ryder Cup captaincy, PGA says appeared first on Golf.

The post ‘We support his decision’: Tiger Woods turns down U.S. Ryder Cup captaincy, PGA says appeared first on Golf.

In the latest fallout from Tiger Woods’ car crash, the 15-time major champion will not be the U.S. captain for the 2027 Ryder Cup.

The PGA of America delivered the news via a statement on Wednesday, saying that Woods had “shared with us that he will not serve” as captain for the U.S. team next year.

The decision ends months of speculation over whether Tiger would finally take the reins of the U.S. Ryder Cup team. It also leaves the PGA of America and the U.S. team without a captain with only 18 months to go until the 2027 event in Ireland.

PGA: Tiger withdraws from Ryder Cup captain job for 2027

Not long after the European team completed their second-straight Ryder Cup victory over the U.S. team at Bethpage Black, one thing was clear, though unofficial.

If Tiger Woods wanted to be the U.S. captain at the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor, the job was his. Given his busy schedule and recovery from surgery, it was never a sure thing that Woods would take the job.

But with the event inching ever closer, a decision was expected soon. We may never know what Woods intended to do.

On Friday, March 27, Woods was involved in a rollover crash near his home in Jupiter, Fla., and arrested and charged with DUI. Woods later pled not guilty to the charges.

News

Then on March 31, Woods announced he would be “stepping away” from golf and public life to “seek treatment and focus on my health.”

At that point, the Ryder Cup captaincy question was still up in the air, but the PGA of America provided us with an answer on Wednesday.

In a statement released on social media, the PGA of America confirmed Woods had decided not to take the U.S. Ryder Cup captain job.

“Tiger has shared with us that he will not serve as Captain of the 2027 U.S. Ryder Cup Team and we support his decision,” the statement read.

“The PGA of America stands in full support of Tiger Woods as he steps away to focus on his health and well-being. During this time, we are keeping Tiger in our thoughts and prayers, with sincere hope for his strength, comfort, and recovery. Tiger has meant so much to our Association and to the game of golf.”

The PGA also commended Woods “for prioritizing his long-term health” and said they “deeply respect the courage it takes to make such a personal decision.”

The recent car crash aside, this episode closely resembles the process the PGA underwent to choose the U.S. Ryder Cup captain for 2025. Woods was a top candidate for the job last year as well.

News

But in the end, Woods informed the PGA he would not accept the 2025 captaincy. Keegan Bradley took his spot.

In a statement read during the press conference announcing Bradley’s captaincy, Woods said, “With my new responsibilities to the [PGA] Tour and time commitments involved I felt I would not be able to commit the time to Team USA and the players required as a captain.”

He added, “That does not mean I wouldn’t want to captain a team in the future. If/when I feel it is the right time, I will put my hat in the ring for this committee to decide.”

Now we’ll have to wait another two years to find out if the 2029 Ryder Cup is the one where Woods finally serves as captain.

But now there’s a more pressing question. With Tiger out of the running, who will be the 2027 U.S. Ryder Cup captain? The captain crisis comes at a time when the Americans are desperate for some strong leadership. Fresh off an embarrassing defeat on U.S. soil, the team’s second-straight Ryder Cup loss, the U.S. needs a win. But they need a captain first.

The European team has no such problem. Luke Donald has already been announced as the European captain. He’s hard at work preparing to bring his team a third-straight victory in 2027.

You can read the PGA of America’s full statement below.

PGA of America full statement on Tiger Woods’ Ryder Cup captaincy

The PGA of America stands in full support of Tiger Woods as he steps away to focus on his health and well-being. During this time, we are keeping Tiger in our thoughts and prayers, with sincere hope for his strength, comfort, and recovery. Tiger has meant so much to our Association and to the game of golf. Since his Ryder Cup debut in 1997, he has been an enduring part of the PGA of America family. His connection to our PGA of America Golf Professionals, and his lasting impact on the sport, have inspired generations and profoundly shaped the game. We commend Tiger for prioritizing his long-term health and deeply respect the courage it takes to make such a personal decision. Tiger has shared with us that he will not serve as Captain of the 2027 U.S. Ryder Cup Team and we support his decision. The PGA of America will share further updates regarding the Ryder Cup captaincy when appropriate. – PGA of America

The post ‘We support his decision’: Tiger Woods turns down U.S. Ryder Cup captaincy, PGA says appeared first on Golf.

The post Tiger Woods’s fiercest opponent is Tiger Woods himself appeared first on Golf.

The post Tiger Woods’s fiercest opponent is Tiger Woods himself appeared first on Golf.

We’re all rooting for Tiger Woods here, rooting for him to get his life, physical and psychic, in a better place. If this were Tiger v. Phil or Sergio or Chris DiMarco you might have a different rooting interest. This, of course, is not that. Tiger became Tiger by often defeating, though not always, Phil & Co. That was fun, that was sport, that was drive and execution as most of had never seen before. This is different. This is Tiger versus himself. Tiger versus the pain of life.

Woods is a 50-year-old athletic icon — a true icon in an age of hyped everything. He has two children with his ex-wife, who has three other children with her current partner. Tiger has a girlfriend with five children of her own. The girlfriend has a former father-in-law who is both the most powerful person in the world and the man who gave Woods his highest honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, after winning the 2019 Masters. Woods won 14 Grand Slam events in a 12-year span. Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas and a host of others came of age in the decade-long wait between No. 14 and No. 15, the 2019 Masters.

Twenty-two months after that victory Woods drove off the side of a deserted Los Angeles County road early on a weekday morning, into a tree and nearly to his death. Don’t call it an accident — that would be an insult to the scores of people who did everything in their power to save his life. Don’t say that winning takes care of everything. The marketing people at Nike who trotted out that phrase in the wake of a long-ago Woods scandal were ultimately just trying to move product.

News

The great tragedy of modern life is that everything has turned into a product. Golf is a product, per PGA Tour brass. Journalism is a product. Clicks are monetized. It’s deadening. Hogan, Palmer, Nicklaus and Watson were dominating golfers and unique personalities who captured our imaginations. But they weren’t products. Tiger Woods has been packaged and sold since he was 3. Woods knows his state of mind that morning in February 2021, when he was pulled out of another wrecked car. Cry for help is a hoary cliché but that crash had to be a cry for help. In the end, not a very loud one. His crash last week, a mile or so from his South Florida home may prove to be a louder one.

This time, his hand was forced, just as it was after his 2017 DUI arrest by police in Jupiter, Fla. In golf’s various and cloistered circles — on Golf Channel, on websites and in newsletters, in a release from the CEO of the PGA Tour — Woods’s statement on Monday was met with relief and admiration. He said he was “stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health.” You hope, of course, he can get the treatment he, by his own admission, needs. But there’s more going on here.

As this second DUI charge in Florida goes down its jurisprudence road, prosecutors were going to require that Woods seek treatment. Woods is trying to avoid a jail sentence here, of any length. He’s trying to avoid the spectacle of a public trial. There’s nothing for him to fight here. There are lawyers and advisors deep in his life. Signing up for treatment, on a voluntary basis, was a smart and necessary first step in an effort to keep a bad situation from getting worse.

Woods has been down the treatment road before. In early 2010, some weeks after running over a fire hydrant in the middle of the night outside his home in the Isleworth development near Orlando, Woods reportedly went to a residential treatment facility in Mississippi to deal with addiction issues. His 2017 plea required counseling as well. A statement is a statement. Last year, when Woods turned to X to announce his relationship with Vanessa Trump, he wrote, “Love is in the air and life is better with you by my side!” Please insert air quotes around wrote. Does that sound like Tiger Woods to you? Monday’s sober announcement has a completely different tone, of course. We don’t know anything about Tiger’s state of mind, and he doesn’t owe us that — or really anything.

News

What he owes us is what every driver in the world owes every other driver and pedestrian and bicyclist and stray pet in the world, and that is alert, uncompromised driving. After his crash on Monday, you can see Woods in photographs on the side of the road, golf shirt neatly tucked in his shorts, glasses on, cellphone to his ear. In those grainy photos, he looks like what he’s looked like for, well, over many years now, iconic golfer on yet another comeback trail. Photos can fool you like statements can fool you.

Tiger has pain and sleep issues. He’s acknowledged that many times. As an athlete, his glory days are long behind him. He knows that, of course. He likes to say, “Father Time is undefeated.” People take pain meds because they are in pain. People drive while impaired because of some level of arrogance, along with self-absorption. People go to recovery to figure out some kind of path forward. Sometimes it works. Because we love golf, because we admire what Woods did as a golfer, Tiger’s issues are getting attention here. In every other regard, he’s another guy trying to figure it out. Except he has to do it with the whole world watching.

We don’t know who Tiger Woods was talking to on his cellphone, when he was on the side of the road Friday afternoon. The single most impressive thing he could have done that day is apologize to the person driving the truck that was pulling the pressure washer. Luckily, the driver wasn’t injured. But his day was turned upside-down, too.

Michael Bamberger welcomes your comments at Michael.Bamberger@Golf.com

The post Tiger Woods’s fiercest opponent is Tiger Woods himself appeared first on Golf.

The post Tiger Woods says he’s ‘stepping away’ to seek treatment after arrest  appeared first on Golf.

The post Tiger Woods says he’s ‘stepping away’ to seek treatment after arrest  appeared first on Golf.

Tiger Woods, following a two-car crash last Friday that led to his DUI arrest, said Tuesday night that he is “stepping away” to seek treatment and “focus on my health.”

The 15-time major winner’s announcement came over X, in a two-paragraph release. It read as follows: 

“I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in today. I am stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health. This is necessary in order for me to prioritize my well-being and work toward lasting recovery. 

“I’m committed to taking the time needed to return in a healthier, stronger and more focused place, both personally and professionally. I appreciate your understanding and support, and ask for privacy for my family, loved ones and myself at this time.”

Nine minutes later, the PGA Tour released statements both from the league and its CEO, Brian Rolapp. Along with being a member of the tour, Woods had been working as the head of the organization’s newly formed Future Competition Committee. 

Below is the statement from Rolapp:

“Tiger Woods is one of the most influential figures the sports world has ever known. 

“Over the last year, I have come to deeply appreciate Tiger not only for his impact on the game, but for his friendship and the perspective he has shared with me as I joined the golf industry. 

“My thoughts are with him and his family as he takes this step, for which he has my full respect and support.”

Below is the statement from the PGA Tour:

“Tiger Woods is a legend of our sport whose impact extends far beyond his achievements on the course. But above all else, Tiger is a person, and our focus is on his health and well‑being. Tiger continues to have our full support as he takes this important step.”

The three statements come four days after Woods was involved in the crash, which happened near his home on Jupiter Island, Fla. According to the Martin County sheriff on Friday, Woods had tried to pass a truck, clipped it, and his SUV flipped onto its driver side. After officers arrived, DUI investigators conducted tests, Woods showed “signs of impairment,” and he was arrested. At the Martin County Jail, Woods took a breathalyzer test and showed no trace of alcohol, but he refused a urinalysis test, leading to misdemeanor DUI charges. Neither Woods nor the other driver involved was injured.  

Late Friday night, Woods posted bond and was released from the prison. On Tuesday afternoon, Woods pleaded not guilty to the charges, according to court documents obtained by GOLF.com, and a court hearing is scheduled for April 23. Woods has also retained the services of Douglas Duncan, an attorney who served on his 2017 DUI case after Woods was found asleep at the wheel of his car and tested positive for five substances in a toxicology report. Ultimately, two of the three misdemeanor charges against Woods were dropped in that case, and he pleaded guilty only to reckless driving.

Earlier Tuesday, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office released additional details on the arrest and crash. According to the report obtained by GOLF.com, two white pills were found in Woods’ left pant pocket, which were marked as Hydrocodone, an opioid commonly used for pain treatment. Woods said that he takes “a few” types of medication and had taken prescribed medicine that morning. Multiple medicines were redacted from the report. 

News

The report also said that Woods said he was looking down at his phone and changing the radio station at the time of the accident. After investigating the crash, Martin County Sheriff Deputy Tatiana Levenar noted that Woods was “sweating profusely,” and though he was “lethargic and slow,” he was alert throughout the investigation. Levenar also said that Woods walked with a limp but also stumbled.

Friday’s crash and the 2017 incident are two of four incidents involving Woods inside a car. In 2021, Woods was involved in a one-car crash outside of Los Angeles, sustained multiple injuries, and was hospitalized for three weeks following surgery. In a statement at the time, a doctor said Woods “suffered significant orthopedic injuries to his right lower extremity that were treated during emergency surgery.” The injuries included “comminuted open fractures” in the tibia and fibula, requiring a rod to be inserted into the leg. In November of 2009, Woods crashed his SUV into a fire hydrant and tree outside of his home and was cited for careless driving.

According to Woods’ statement, it was unclear what treatment he would seek, and how long he would be away from golf. Next week, an event Woods has won five times, the Masters, is set to start, and Woods has said he would be on the grounds at Augusta National, though it was unknown whether he would have played after he had undergone a back procedure last October. Woods was also supposed to be in attendance at Augusta Municipal Golf Course after helping with the course’s recent redesign. 

Woods has not played tournament golf since the 2024 Open Championship. Three days before Friday’s crash, he played with his team in TGL, the simulator-based league he co-founded.

The post Tiger Woods says he’s ‘stepping away’ to seek treatment after arrest  appeared first on Golf.

The post Tiger Woods pleads not guilty to DUI charge after car accident appeared first on Golf.

The post Tiger Woods pleads not guilty to DUI charge after car accident appeared first on Golf.

The court proceedings have begun in the case against Tiger Woods.

On Tuesday afternoon, Woods pleaded not guilty on DUI charges stemming from a rollover crash in Jupiter, Fla. on Friday afternoon, according to court documents obtained by GOLF. The 15-time major champion has also retained the services of Douglas Duncan, an attorney who served on his 2017 DUI case after Woods was found asleep at the wheel of his car and tested positive for five different substances in a toxicology report. Ultimately, two of the three misdemeanor charges against Woods were dropped in that case, and the golfer pleaded guilty only to reckless driving.

Woods, 50, has been the story of the golf world in the week preceding the Masters after crashing his car on a one-lane road in Jupiter, Fla. on Friday afternoon. The crash, which came when Woods attempted to overtake a turning truck with a trailer attached, resulted in Woods’ Range Rover flipping onto its driver side. After police responded to the scene of the crash, officers observed Woods “sweating profusely” and appearing “lethargic and slow,” according to an affidavit. After administering a field sobriety test to the 15-time major champion, an officer from the Martin County Sheriff’s Department charged him with Driving Under the Influence.

After conducting a search at the scene of the accident, officers also found two hydrocodone pills in Woods’ pocket. The well-prescribed opioid was one of several substances that arrived in Woods’ toxicology report back in 2017. On Tuesday afternoon, Woods announced his intention to seek treatment for unspecified issues.

“I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in today,” Woods said. “I am stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health. This is necessary in order form e to prioritize my well-being and work toward lasting recovery.”

Friday’s incident was not Woods’ first serious accident behind the wheel. In 2021, he suffered serious injuries to his right leg after a single-car accident in Rolling Hills Estates, Calif. while on the way to a magazine shoot. At the time of that accident, the recorder in Woods’ car tracked him as driving at nearly two times the speed limit. The “jaws of life” were needed to extricate him from the crash, and Woods’ leg was badly mangled. In the report from Friday’s DUI, the Martin County Sheriff’s Department quotes Woods as mentioning he has had more than 20 surgeries to the leg since the injury in 2021.

Prior to Friday, the familiar swell of anticipatory energy had begun to swirl around Woods’ golf game. The 82-time PGA Tour winner had returned to competitive golf for the first time since rupturing his achilles in March of last year, competing in the finals of the TGL just two weeks out from the start of the Masters. Irrespective of his playing status, Woods was scheduled to be in attendance at Augusta for the official reopening of The Patch, a local municipal course renovated by Augusta National with help from Woods’ design firm.

Woods now has a court hearing scheduled in Martin County Florida for April 23, two weeks to the day after play will begin at this year’s Masters.

The post Tiger Woods pleads not guilty to DUI charge after car accident appeared first on Golf.