Tiger Woods Would Bring Excitement To The Champions Tour

Woods turns 50 in December, and former contemporary and major winner in his own right (2 US Opens and 2 British Opens), Ernie Els, is asking the five-time Masters champ to join the Champions Tour. Formerly The Senior Tour, a player needs to be 50 or older to be eligible. Speaking at the Els Center of Excellence, the South African golfer threw a good-spirited jab at Woods when asked about the possibility of the latter playing with the old guys.

“Beat us again…if you can.”

Els elaborated to the Palm Beach Post, saying, “He will get himself in golf shape. You can ride a cart without any shame, and if there was one guy that should be able to drive a cart, it’s him….And he can get his ass back in shape.”

Woods rubbed a few people the wrong way with his focus and intensity during the peak of his powers, but Els was not one of them. He would clearly relish a reunion, and the PGA Tour would be ecstatic to see The Champions Tour get a player of his popularity on the tee box. There is a high likelihood that Woods could give the tour the same kind of popularity and monetary boost he gave the PGA back in 1996.

Tiger Woods Could Benefit From The Champions Tour

When Els joined the Champions Tour in 2020, he was coming off a PGA season where he missed half the cuts and never finished in the top 10. He played 36 events his first season with the seniors, making all 36 cuts, and finishing in the top 10 eighteen times, and winning twice. This sort of immediate success for Champions Tour rookies is not unprecedented. 50 is the new 23 there, and players who are overtaken by younger players on the PGA Tour find success as the young guys themselves on the Champions Tour.

Woods has not played in 2025 due to rehabbing a ruptured Achilles. He missed the cut in four of five events he played in 2024. Due to age and injury, he’s only made 20 starts combined in the six seasons from 2020 to 2025. He could look to draw inspiration from someone like Justin Leonard (a teammate of Woods in multiple Ryder Cups), who only played one tournament on the PGA Tour in 2018, then made the cut in 19 of 19 starts on the Champions Tour in 2019, including five top-five finishes.

To Els’ point, Woods could use the Champions Tour to get back into playing shape for PGA majors, as he has not given up on his dream to tie or pass Nicklaus’ majors record. If Woods chooses to play with the seniors, he still has a lifetime exemption to play in the Masters and the PGA Championship, and can play in the British Open without having to qualify until age 55. Making the cut consistently, winning consistently again, and getting to drive a cart instead of walking the course could rejuvenate Woods to the point where he can compete and even win majors on the PGA Tour again.

End Of My Tiger Woods Rant

When Woods joined the tour in 1996, the prize pool for the US Open was $2.4 million ($4.94 million in 2025 dollars), and the winner received $425,000 ($860,000). In 2025, the prize pool for the US Open was $21.5 million, and the winner (JJ Spaun) received $4.3 million. That’s an increase by a factor of five, and it’s not hyperbolic to say that Woods is solely responsible for this increase in riches.

The Senior US Open purse is currently $4 million, with the winner receiving $800,000. Basically, the Champions Tour is paying what the PGA Tour did in the mid-1990s. Enter the greatest golf in history, and everyone associated with the Champions Tour stands to make a lot of money. TV ratings would increase, tournaments would sell out, and Woods would be on top of the golf world once again. I can’t help but hope that Woods accepts Els’ challenge and joins the tour, beating them all…again.