Sam Woods Flooded With Emotions as Dad Tiger Woods Confirms End of Her Soccer Career: ‘Means the Entire World…’

Tiger Woods appears doubtful for next week’s Players Championship, with his recent comments at a TGL event suggesting his focus remains elsewhere.

The 15-time major champion, still recovering from injuries and personal loss, admitted his heart is not in the game right now.

With the Masters just five weeks away, his path to Augusta remains uncertain.

Personal loss, tour duties

Speaking at Tuesday’s TGL event, the league he co-founded, Woods opened up about his struggles following the passing of his mother, Kultida, and his extensive work with the PGA Tour policy board.

“This is the third time I’ve touched a club since my mom passed, so I haven’t really gotten into it,” Woods told Sports Illustrated. “My heart is really not into practicing right now. I’ve had so many other things to do with the Tour and trying to do other things.

“Once I start probably feeling a little bit better and start getting into it, I’ll start looking at the schedule.”

Woods has until Friday to decide if he’ll tee it up at TPC Sawgrass. The Players Championship will be followed by the Valspar Championship, presenting another opportunity for a return.

His last official start came at the 2024 British Open, where he missed the cut.

Since then, he has undergone his sixth back procedure, skipped the Hero World Challenge, and played alongside his son, Charlie, at the PNC Championship in December.

TGL season ends as Woods’ Jupiter team falls

While Woods weighs his competitive future, his inaugural TGL season came to an end Tuesday in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida Atlanta Drive GC dominated singles play to defeat Jupiter Links GC 9-1, eliminating Woods’ franchise from playoff contention.

Jupiter, co-owned by Woods, entered the night already out of the race after Monday’s results.

Atlanta (4-1-0, 8 points) secured the third seed and will face The Bay Golf Club in the semifinals, with Los Angeles Golf Club and New York Golf Club set to meet in the other playoff matchup.

Despite the loss, Woods took pride in what he and Rory McIlroy built with the virtual golf league, which finally launched in 2025 after a storm-damaged facility delayed its debut.

“I’m proud of my teammates, I’m proud of what we have built here and the excitement that we were able to bring to Jupiter and more importantly to the game of golf,” Woods said on ESPN’s broadcast.

Atlanta dominates late

Jupiter fell behind early, dropping the first two points in triples before catching a break when Atlanta’s Nick Dunlap drove out of bounds at the sixth hole.

Jupiter took advantage, “throwing the hammer” to double their point, but Atlanta declined and conceded for just a single point.

Atlanta quickly responded, reclaiming the point on the next hole and heading into singles play with a 3-1 lead.

While Jupiter’s Tom Kim split with Atlanta’s Billy Horschel and Woods drew against Lucas Glover, Max Homa’s misfire into a bunker at No. 12 allowed Dunlap to take another key point for Atlanta.

With time running out, desperation set in.

Horschel secured two points for Atlanta at No. 13, prompting Jupiter to throw the hammer for Woods’ match at the par-3 14th against Glover.

But Glover’s tee shot landed just 10 feet from the pin, and he countered with his own hammer throw, raising the stakes to three points.

Woods needed something special, but his tee shot sailed long, sealing the loss.

The struggle-filled season for Tiger Woods isn’t getting any better. The golfer who ended the 2024 season on a high note of performance at the PNC Championship, has struggled to perform in the tech-infused league. Well, not only struggled, but also being accused of the unfortunate result of the team. Despite the negatives coming in for the golfer and captain, his teammate is in support, irrespective of the results.

Jupiter Links till now has only one win against the Boston Common Golf Club, that too with a close margin of 4-3. With the performance struggle and worry of qualifying for the semi-finals, recently at the Shotgun Start podcast, an insider shared a blunt assessment. He said, “I think TGL is a better product when Tiger is not there.”

Well, despite the accusation, there are still hopes alive and support from the teammates for the greatest. Recently at the Smylie Show, Max Homa, a team member of the Jupiter Links, was asked about his experience of being in the team with Tiger Woods. The question even pointed out the epic flagstick shot of Kevin Kisner, which left Woods and Homa laughing in tears.

Homa said, “Being on the team with Tiger is really cool, but all jokes aside, with the whole thing that went down with Kis to get to stand next to like your hero.” He even continued how both were laughing with tears for an hour and even continued the chat when Woods asked for the video. The video of both golfers’ reaction went viral on social media, as fans praised seeing Woods laughing like that for the first time.

Continuing ahead on backing the 15-time major winner, Homa said, “I honestly think for the fans and in the corniest way like he’s such like a Godlike figure and to get to see him how we see him which is just like a dude and he’s honestly awesome guy been a good friend to get to see him in these environments be you know normal but competitive.” Golf being a highly competitive sport has always seen Tiger Woods’s aggressive side. However, with the new age tech league, the fans got to witness the other side, which even Homa has praised.

Now, with allegations coming to the greatest, can the team still manage to qualify?

Tiger Woods’s Jupiter links qualification scenario

Until now, Jupiter Links has struggled in the league. Out of 4 matches, the team has 3 losses and only one victory. Now with just one match remaining against the Atlanta Drive, the qualification chances are tough. Jupiter Links is placed at a fifth position with one point difference for qualification.

Three spots for the semi-final have already been filled with Los Angeles GC, The Bay GC, and Atlanta Drive GC targeting the playoff. Now for the final match, Jupiter requires a win, while relying on the match of New York as they are placed at fourth. Even the loss or tiebreaker would help Woods’ team to find a way through the playoffs. But the results will get clear for the Jupiter Links, as NYGC’s match will tee off a day before. Currently, New York is placed at fourth with 3 points, while Jupiter is at fifth with 2 points.

Who will take the last spot for the playoffs according to you? Share your predictions with us in the comments below.

Legendary golfer Tiger Woods rode the highs and lows of Benjamin’s dramatic rally in the Class 2A state semifinals just like every soccer parent in DeLand on Thursday evening.

In the end, Woods’ daughter, Sam, saw her high school soccer career extended with a 2-1 Benjamin victory over Lakeland Christian at Spec Martin Stadium.

Woods, a senior defender, led the Bucs’ back line, which conceded a goal in the first half but shut out Lakeland Christian over the second half of regulation and two extra time periods before Sienna Barboni’s electric match-winner.

Benjamin will face the winner of Ransom Everglades (14-4-3) and Episcopal School of Jacksonville (13-5-3) in the state final on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Woods has three goals and an assist this year for Benjamin (10-5-3) playing in a largely defensive role. She scored the game-winner on a header for the Bucs against King’s Academy in the district championship match.

After the completion of Benjamin’s soccer season, Woods will move into the spring track and field season, where she competes in hurdles and middle distance events with Benjamin.

Many will remember Tiger Woods’ first TGL appearance since his mother’s death last week for the blunder in club selection that left Woods and his teammates with Jupiter Links GC stunned and then in stitches. He called the mishap that grabbed headlines during his team’s loss to New York Golf Club last week, in which he misinterpreted his caddie’s yardage instructions and hit his approach shot 100 yards short, one of the most “embarrassing” moments of his golf career.

But what lingered within Woods was the feeling he had before TGL action began at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

“I had a hard time driving down here,” he told reporters afterward. “I hadn’t hit a golf ball since I played with the President and just put everything away and shut it off. I had a really hard time getting here and then reliving all the moments that we’ve had, my mom, how excited she was to have Charlie (Woods’ 16-year-old son) drive her here. So those are some great moments and great memories. It’s been a hard process.”

In the days since then, the emotional toll of grieving his mother’s death led Woods to put golf on the back burner and adjust his schedule again. A planned appearance for the TGL this week has joined his planned 2025 PGA Tour debut as events Woods didn’t feel ready to compete in yet. Woods hasn’t played in a professional golf tournament since The Open Championship last July.

Here’s a breakdown of the changes to Woods’ schedule and when golf’s biggest star might play in a PGA Tour event again:

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Is Tiger Woods playing in the TGL this week?

No. Woods was not listed in the lineup for Jupiter Links GC this week ahead of its match against The Bay Golf Club on Tuesday night, according to Golfweek. Teammates Max Homa, Tom Kim and Kevin Kisner will represent Jupiter Links GC with Woods out.

When will Tiger Woods play next?

The answer to this question is two-fold at this point, with Woods’s status for TGL matches and the status of his 2025 PGA Tour debut ahead of The Masters in April on different wavelengths.

Though Woods will miss Tuesday’s Jupiter Links GC match, he could still play in the team’s final regular-season match on Tuesday, March 4, against Woods’ friend Justin Thomas and Atlanta Drive GC. The TGL playoffs featuring the top four teams in the standings are set to begin with the semifinals on March 17 and 18.

Woods was asked after last week’s TGL match when he might next play at a PGA Tour event beginning with the Cognizant Classic that starts Thursday.

“I really haven’t thought about golf, so I don’t think I’m going to be thinking about it for just a little bit here,” he said.

A year ago, Woods said he aimed to play in one tournament per month. He initially committed to making his 2025 PGA Tour debut at The Genesis Invitational he hosted earlier this month but withdrew because he “wasn’t ready” yet in the wake of his mother’s death. But Woods reiterated during an interview at the event his goal of playing some “bigger events” in the future.

Woods only played in five PGA Tour events last season, and that included withdrawing after the first round of the 2024 Genesis Invitational due to an illness. He only made the cut at the Masters, finishing in 60th place.

Next month’s Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players Championship could be possibilities for his PGA Tour return ahead of the Masters in April. Woods, though, has yet to commit to any PGA Tour event for 2025.

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Tiger Woods injury update

Woods said in December at the Hero World Challenge – a tournament he hosts in the Bahamas – that he was not physically ready and “not sharp enough” yet to compete against the best golfers on the PGA Tour following another back surgery last September. Woods underwent microdecompression surgery on his lumbar spine to relieve nerve impingement in his lower back, aiming to reduce the pain and spasms he experienced.

“I don’t want to have any setbacks. Just want to keep making progress and give myself the best chance going to next year as possible,” Woods said in December. “I feel like I’m getting stronger, I’m getting more pliable, but I got a long way to go to be able to compete against these guys.”

Woods has since played at the PNC Championship with his son, Charlie Woods, in December. Woods has also played in three matches with Jupiter Links GC in the TGL, the virtual golf league he co-founded along with a group of investors that includes Rory McIlroy.

Woods is currently automatically qualified for three of this year’s four Majors

Tiger Woods plans to continue playing at the highest level this year despite a sixth back surgery in September and the admission in December that his game is nowhere near sharp enough to compete with the best.

Fast forward a couple of months and the shape of Woods’ game has clearly improved after he committed to the Genesis Invitational, before withdrawing due to the emotional toil of his mother’s recent death.

The 15-time Major winner may look to get some competitive rounds under his belt pre-Masters at either the Arnold Palmer Invitational or The Players Championship, or simply turn up to Augusta for his first tournament of the year.

So, which of the four Majors is Tiger Woods’ eligible for in 2025?

The 49-year-old is still eligible for three of this year’s four biggest events due to the incredible success he’s had over the past 25+ years, where he won 15 Majors.

He is in The Masters for life after winning the Green Jacket five times in 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005 and 2019.

Woods is synonymous with Augusta and has made the cut in The Masters 23 consecutive times, which matches Gary Player and Fred Couples’ record. If he makes the weekend this April, he will stand alone at the top of the consecutive cuts leaderboard with an incredible 24.

All being well, the Californian will then head to Quail Hollow a month later for the PGA Championship, which is another of the Majors that he is in for life. The PGA Championship extends lifetime exemptions to its past champions, which is why the likes of Rich Beem, Shaun Micheel, Padraig Harrington, YE Yang, Martin Kaymer and Jason Dufner still tee it up in the Major.

Woods is a four-time PGA Championship winner, triumphing in 1999, 2000, 2006 and 2007.

Woods will then be eyeing up a tee time at Oakmont in June for the US Open, but that is an event he’ll have to qualify for or, most likely, rely on an invitation.

US Open winners only get a 10-year exemption after winning the trophy. Woods won in 2008 and it ran out in 2019, but his Masters victory then got him into the field for the 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 championships.

Tiger Woods heard his longtime friend and business partner Rob McNamara say “99 yards,” and so the 15-time major winner immediately and instinctively pulled out a pitching wedge Tuesday night during TGL action. Woods even confirmed the number a second time with McNamara before setting up for his swing. He probably should have asked again.

Soon enough, his Jupiter Links Golf Club teammates wondered aloud from the sideline ‒ but too late and not loud enough for Woods to hear ‒ why one of the greatest golfers of all-time was using a club that wouldn’t get Woods near the 199 yards he needed to reach the hole.

What followed was a shot that traveled 100 yards, falling well short of the green as part of the match between Jupiter Links match and the New York Golf Club. Woods had been told “99” because it was perceived to be obvious the caddie was dropping a number and meant “199” yards. Obvious to everyone but Woods, who wound up losing the 13th hole to Cameron Young.

“I heard 99 yards. I didn’t know it was 199,” he explained and then called it “one of the most embarrassing moments in my golfing career.”

Kim and fellow Jupiter Links teammate Kevin Kisner each got a good laugh at Woods’ expense as everybody involved realized the miscommunication that had occurred. Woods was playing for the first time since the death of his mother, Kultida Woods. The New York Golf Club team of Rickie Fowler, Matt Fitzpatrick and Young wound up winning the match over Jupiter Links, 10-3, on Tuesday.

Asked what they learned from the match during a news conference afterwards, Kim and Kisner deferred to Woods and the mishap that overshadowed the result.

“I had 99 yards. I hit a 100-yard wedge shot,” Woods said with a sheepish smile and a chuckle. “That was one of the most embarrassing things … I can’t believe that just happened.”

It’s still unclear when Woods will make his 2025 PGA Tour debut after he withdrew from last week’s Genesis Invitational following his mother’s death. He is scheduled to play for Jupiter Links again on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Tiger Woods and PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan are part of a White House meeting that signals more progress in getting a deal done with the Saudi backers of LIV Golf

Tiger Woods joined PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and player director Adam Scott in a second White House meeting on Thursday, another sign the sport is moving rapidly toward ending the division brought on by Saudi-funded LIV Golf.

Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia and the financial muscle behind the rival league, was scheduled to join the meeting, according to a person briefed on the meeting.

The person, speaking on condition of anonymity because the meeting is private, said President Donald Trump initiated the meeting and was likely to be part of it.

Al-Rumayyan was in Miami Beach, Florida, on Wednesday to attend an investment summit where Trump spoke.

This is the second time in just over two weeks the PGA Tour leadership — Woods and Scott are on the board — has met at the White House. Woods had to leave before the Feb. 4 meeting because his mother died in Florida.

He said Sunday during the CBS broadcast of the Genesis Invitational that “we have another meeting coming up.”

“I think that things are going to heal quickly,” Woods, the tournament host, said on the broadcast. “We’re going to get this game going in the right direction. It’s been heading in the wrong direction for a number of years and the fans want all of us to play together, all the top players playing together, and we’re going to make that happen.”

LIV Golf launched in June 2022 and lured away several top names — Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm — over the next few years with signing bonuses reported to top $100 million in some cases.