Tiger's admission ahead of awkward LIV reunion

1 year ago 84

Golf fable Tiger Woods admits helium doesn't cognize however helium volition respond erstwhile helium comes look to look with a fig of LIV rebels successful April.

The Saudi-backed breakaway league has divided the crippled and lured a fig of apical players with buckets of wealth - including Aussie champion Cameron Smith.

The players who person defected to LIV person been banned from playing connected the PGA Tour, which operates astir of the elite men's events successful America.

But the 4 play majors - the Masters, US Open, PGA Championship, and British Open (Open Championship) - are tally independently, and person not banned LIV players from competing.

The Masters - golf's astir prestigious lawsuit - volition beryllium the archetypal large this year, held astatine Augusta National successful the archetypal week of April.

Woods is aiming to beryllium connected the tee, and was asked however helium volition attack a perchance awkward gathering with the likes of LIV defectors Smith, Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed, and Dustin Johnson.

"That's a large question due to the fact that I don't know, due to the fact that I haven't been astir them," helium told a packed media scrum astatine his Genesis Invitational property league connected Wednesday.

"Some of the players retired present have. For lawsuit Rory (McIlroy) is successful Dubai with immoderate of those players.

"I don't cognize what (my) absorption is going to be. I cognize immoderate of our friendships person surely taken a antithetic path.

"But we'll spot erstwhile each that transpires."

Before the tourney kicks off, erstwhile winners of the Masters volition stitchery for the accepted champions dinner, this twelvemonth to beryllium hosted by 2022 victor Scottie Scheffler.

Scheffler finished implicit the apical of Smith past twelvemonth astatine Augusta National, clinching the greenish jacket. Smith would triumph his archetypal large astatine St Andrews 3 months later.

Woods wants to marque definite the meal is not hijacked by tensions betwixt PGA Tour and LIV players.

"The champions meal is thing that is going to beryllium talked about. We arsenic a full request to honour Scottie, Scottie is the winner, it's his dinner," Woods said.

"So (we request to) marque definite Scottie gets recognised correctly, but besides recognising the quality of what has transpired and the radical who person near (the PGA Tour).

"What our situations are legally, emotionally... there's a batch there."

Woods missed the chopped astatine past year's British Open and hasn't played galore elite events since a superior car clang severely damaged his limb successful February 2021.

Reed flicks tee astatine Mcilroy

But, contempt his lack from the tee boxes, helium has remained steadfastly connected the broadside of the PGA Tour amid the disfigured warfare with LIV Golf.

His person McIlroy has pb the complaint against the Saudi-backed league, and has had a fig of run-ins - some face-to-face and successful the courts - against LIV players, peculiarly Reed.

Woods admits the crippled has changed successful the 2 years since his crash.

"It's been turbulent. No 1 expected the crippled of play to beryllium successful this situation. But it is, that's the reality," helium said.

"It's been difficult, there's nary lie.

"You've seen our ambassador, Rory, spell done it. He's been pugnacious connected them.

"For him to spell retired determination and play and win, it's been incredible."

Woods volition instrumentality to the PGA Tour this week astatine the Genesis Invitational.

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