Will new venture keep Tiger Woods from retiring?

Tiger Woods talks with caddie Joe LaCava during a practice round at Augusta National. Danielle Parhizkaran / USA TODAY NETWORK

Will new PGA Tour venture keep Tiger Woods from retiring?

By Chelena Goldman | Last updated 8/24/22

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy unveiled a new venture in their partnership to strengthen the PGA Tour and combat the rival LIV Golf series -- and from the looks of things, could potentially stave off the 15-time major champion's retirement.

TMRW sports, a partnered venture between the golf duo, announced Wednesday it will launch TGL, a "tech-infused golf league" in conjunction with the PGA that will " showcase team matches fusing advanced tech and live action from a custom-built venue in primetime on Monday nights, which will complement the current PGA TOUR schedule," the tour's website explained.

Naturally, Woods and McIlroy are the first two golfers to commit to compete in the new project. While it may just be that Woods wants to spearhead the event he has put his name on, it also appears this is a way for him to stay active on the PGA Tour in the coming seasons.

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's new TMRW Sports venture announces TGL, "a tech-infused golf league" in partnership with the PGA Tour. Starting in 2024, there will be 15 televised Monday night matches featuring six teams of three players each. A promise of 18 holes in two hours.
— Jason Sobel (@JasonSobelTAN) August 24, 2022

Woods returned to the tour this season after being sidelined by a career and life-threatening car crash in February 2021 although he played in fewer events than his fellow pros in part because of the difficulty he had walking between holes. The digital format of TGL would take that measure out of the equation and potentially set Woods up to regularly compete on a large stage again.

The unsubtle insinuation here is that this will help further Tiger's competitive career. He's been very involved in this process. With no walking between holes, there's a presumption that he will be competing in this league during a primetime TV window each week.
— Jason Sobel (@JasonSobelTAN) August 24, 2022

Despite having a pared-down schedule this season, the 46-year-old veteran has vehemently dismissed any notion that he is walking away from the game. Given his involvement in creating this venture with McIlroy and commitment to making changes to the PGA Tour, it is only fair to assume this is also a step that will keep him competitive.

And if this new venture isn't to keep him competitive, Woods playing tech golf in primetime will at least be interesting.

I don't really think y'all are totally comprehending the idea of a 48-year-old Tiger Woods, hat backwards and shirt untucked, firing 4-iron lasers into a simulator and fist-bumping teammate Rory McIlroy on your TV every Monday night for four months.
— Jason Sobel (@JasonSobelTAN) August 24, 2022

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