Tiger Woods (Bridgestone Tour B X) might be making a comeback. Exactly when, if ever, no one knows for sure.

A story broke a few days ago showing Woods hitting balls on the range of the NEXUS Open. Woods posted some clips of hitting balls on his Instagram account.

He hasn’t played since the 2024 Open Championship, and there’s no need to indicate why. Everyone knows the history.

But haven’t we gone down this road many times with Woods, teeing it up again after a layoff and his belief he can actually win again?

Realistically, if he survives the cut, it’s a noble accomplishment.

But winning in a meaningful tournament?

It seems beyond the realm of possibility.

We all remember the epic moment he won the 2019 Masters and how he captured the hearts of everyone.

But we have been witnesses to the physical challenges he’s faced since then, sadly hobbling around.

He is 50 and is eligible to play on the Champions Tour, which is by no means is an easy piece of business. The level of competition is better than ever, but nothing like the PGA Tour. It’s a young man’s game with players who routinely hit 300-plus yards and some carding scores in the low 60s and flirting with 59s. In his heyday, that would have been easy for Woods. But he simply can’t match players half his age with power, precision and accuracy.

So, playing on the Champions Tour would be easier. But wouldn’t seeing Woods playing in the Champions Tour seem like a dramatic drop?

I’ve always thought Woods would like to play on the PGA Tour with his son Charlie (TaylorMadeTP5) just to add something to his legacy while also enjoying a special father-son moment. Charlie certainly seems headed in that path to join the PGA Tour.

Independent of that, the PGA Tour is headed in a new direction in 2028, and Woods is personally lending his expertise to whichever way it goes. He certainly wouldn’t be eligible to play in the Championship Series for the top 120 players in the world. There are no sponsorship exemptions. And I don’t even know if he would be eligible for the Challenger Series.

On which series would Charlie play?

I wouldn’t be surprised if the PGA Tour creates some kind of exception rule for Tiger, possibly tied to his career earnings, which he had the most until Scottie Scheffler (Titleist Pro V1) surpassed him. Maybe Tiger will ask for an exemption for Charlie, too.

No matter whether you think Tiger should ever play again on the PGA Tour, he brings something unique (eyeballs) more than any other player. Even now when Woods is back hitting balls on the range, there is interest.

Tiger could play in the majors having qualified via previous wins. Of course, the one that would really matter most is the Masters, and he knows the intricacies and nuances of the course better than most.

Of course this is all conjecture and a bit of fantasy. His body will tell him what to do.

So speculating on 2028 is a long ways off. We’re not even sure his body will allow him to make it that far.

There is going to be an obligation that the Championship Series players will be required to play a minimum number of tournaments. It hasn’t been established what that number is. Tiger cannot play more than a handful or so tournaments at best—and a handful may be stretching it.

So, for now, we all will be watching when or if he plays again on the PGA Tour.

THE LUCK OF THE IRISH: Somehow, it seems fitting that Shane Lowry (Srixon Z-Star XV) wins the Irish Open and does it go away. Lowry embodies the spirit of the Irish. He’s one of those characters and personalities you can’t help but cheer for.

Will the Irish Open be part of the Championship Series? National Opens are unique because they are full of sponsorship exemptions for players of their respective countries. So, the Irish Open had lots of Irish natives in it. We’ll see what happens for 2028 and beyond. This applies also to the Scottish Open and Canadian Open.