What should we expect from Tiger Woods once he turns 50?
Each week, we ask our panel of writers, PGA members and golf industry experts to weigh in with their views on the hot topics of the day.
The PGA Tour Fall Series ended Sunday with Finland’s Sami Valimaki capturing the final event for his first win on Tour. The Series also determined which players would make it inside the Top 100 for full playing privileges in 2026. Canadians Adam Hadwin, Ben Silverman and Adam Svensson finished outside the Top 100 and will get some starts next year but will be scrambling for sponsor invitations as well. This is the first year the Tour has reduced exemptions from the Top 125 down to 100. What are your thoughts on the reduction and how the Fall Series played out?
Jim Deeks, Fairways Magazine (@jimdeeks): I wish I could say I’ve been playing close attention, but that would not be true. Nonetheless, I’ve said recently that I don’t really approve of the 125 to 100 exemptions. You just need to look at the subordinate tours like Korn Ferry and the Canadian Tour to see how many outstanding players there are, and low scores each week. Most of these guys deserve to be on the PGA Tour, yet now the PGA Tour is further restricting access. It makes no sense to me, and I think it’s unfair.
Craig Loughry, Golf Ontario (@craigloughry): I’m not sure what to think of this new process (reduction in cards) because there are so many ways for past players to get into some PGA Tour events and then play their way onto it full-time. But I do like the idea of providing more turnover and getting new (and deserving) bodies on the Tour.
Michael Schurman, Master Professional / Hall of Fame Member, PGA of Canada: The PGA TOUR has to do something to stay relevant. Sponsors have tried dozens of incentives to get the top players to enter. They all have babysitting, incredible buffet lunches, loaner cars, airfare to and from, huge cash bonus days on Monday or Tuesday, not to mention specific courses like Pebble Beach, monster purses. TV has tried ad-free telecasts with various colour commentary hosts, but nothing seems to work because it’s all just the basic norm. The only answer is to reduce the fields so fewer earn more, players become better known due to fewer names to remember. I’m sad for the Canadians who are victims of the Strongest Survive World because we had so many playing this year. As for the Fall Series, I’ve never liked it. I think the TOUR should end with The OUR Championship, resume with the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii during the off week before the Super Bowl, and end on Saturday. The TOUR resumes the week following with a match-play event also in Hawaii.
TJ Rule, Golf Away Tours (@GolfAwayTJ): I’m in favour of the reduction if the extra spots are provided to those coming up from KFT or Q School, but apparently there are less spots available for KFT graduates, partly due to the fact that tournaments are limited to smaller fields next year. I’m not sure how I feel about that, as it gives less guys a chance to make a living on Tour. As we’ve discussed before in this Round Table, it’s nice to see the Cinderella stories occasionally and these changes make those opportunities less likely.
Peter Mumford, Fairways Magazine (@FairwaysMag): I quite enjoyed the Fall Series where the emphasis was on qualifying for the next step. With elite players taking a break, it was nice to learn about different players and their journeys. As for the reduction to 100 exempt players, I’m ok with that as long as there are opportunities for those outside the Top 100 to move in.
Tiger Woods will turn 50 on December 30th and become eligible for the Champions Tour. While he’s currently rehabbing his latest back surgery plus an earlier Achilles injury, it’s expected Tiger could make a start somewhere by February, perhaps on the Senior circuit where he could use a cart. On the PGA Tour, he’s still chasing Nicklaus’ major record and the all-time win record. Off the course, Tiger is busy with his golf course design business, his kids and the PGA Tour policy board, not necessarily in that order. What do you think Tiger will do in 2026?
Deeks: I couldn’t begin to predict what Tiger will do, but I suspect he’s not very interested in pursuing the Champions Tour, even if he’s able to play tournament golf again. If he does play with the seniors and wins, well, everyone would say “of course Tiger’s gonna dominate the Champions.” If he plays and doesn’t do well, everyone will say, “poor Tiger, he should just hang ‘em up and focus on Charlie’s career.” Either way, there’s not much incentive.
Loughry: Tiger will play in 2026, I just don’t know how much he’ll play. I don’t expect him to play very well for a while, until he works some rust off and gets his glutes firing.
Schurman: I hope he plays. He could be the Babe Ruth of baseball, Wayne Gretski of hockey, the Mohammed Ali of boxing for the Champions Tour. In the last few events, the total number of fans for the entire week wouldn’t fill a tee sheet for one day.
Rule: It seems to me that he’s going to take a step back from playing, but maybe I’m wrong. It would be nice to see him get some playing reps in while being able to use a cart, as that would help him prep for Majors at least from a golf perspective, although stamina may still become an issue once he steps foot on the grounds of Augusta National in April. The Champions Tour would sure benefit from Tiger playing!
Mumford: I suspect we’ll see Tiger doing spot duty at best on both Tours. Chasing records is just a fantasy now. Everyone seems to think once Tiger gets healthy, it’s back to winning tournaments but it’s been one injury or surgery after another for the past 20 years. For elite athletes in particular, these things don’t improve as you get older.
Typically, Player of the Year honours on each pro tour go to those who won the most majors or most titles. When you look at all of the pro tours combined, which player from any tour had the best year in 2025? Options include Scottie Scheffler (3 wins including 2 majors), Rory McIlroy (3 wins including the Masters and Player Championship and the DP World Tour Race to Dubai), Ben Griffin (3 PGA Tour wins), Jeeno Thitikul (3 LPGA wins plus the CME Championship), Joaquin Niemann (5 wins LIV Tour), Nelly Korda (18 top 10’s LPGA Tour), Michael Brennan (3 wins PGA Tour Americas and 1 PGA Tour win) or someone not mentioned.
Deeks: Let’s be egalitarian here and name a top male and top female. Top male is a really tough choice, but I give the nod to McIlroy even though he and Scheffler ran virtually neck-and-neck. The pressure on Rory to win the Masters and complete his slam, to endure all the pressure of being the de facto leading player spokesperson for the PGA Tour and be the de facto leader of the Euro Ryder Cup team, and THEN win the overall DP Tour season… well that’s remarkable performance, in my view. And even though Minjee Lee was the leading money winner on the LPGA Tour until Jeeno Thitikul’s $4m payday this past weekend, I’d have to say Jeeno had the most phenomenal season.
Loughry: It’s Scheffler for me, majors count double (in my world), so Scheffler deserves the nod for Player of the Year.
Schurman: Rory wins the lifetime Grand Slam. That’s as good as it gets.
Rule: Jeeno Thitikul had an incredible season, but not up to 2024 Nelly levels, so I don’t think she can be put into the same conversation as Scottie and Rory. Given the extreme pressure put on Rory at Augusta, and his finish to the season on the DP World Tour, I would lean to giving player of the year honours to him, and it would be well deserved.
Mumford: As far as a career changing season, Michael Brennan’s jump from PGA Tour Americas to the big leagues is most impressive. He and the Blue Jay’s Trey Yesavage should compare notes. However, I think Rory had the best overall year with wins at the Masters, Players, Grand Slam and Ryder Cup, and his seventh DP World Tour title. That may be a season for the ages.
