As speculation continues to mount about the startup Premier Golf League, Tiger Woods confirmed Tuesday that he has been “personally approached” about potential involvement in what could become a rival circuit to the PGA Tour.
Details remain scant about the PGL, which reportedly could begin as soon as 2022 and would include 10 to 18 limited-field events for eight-figure purses across the world. But there are enough specifics to spark reactive messages to players from both PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and his European Tour counterpart, Keith Pelley.
There is also reportedly a team-owner aspect that could be used to incentivize some of the game’s biggest names, including Phil Mickelson who played with key PGL figures during the Saudi International pro-am and has told reporters that he’s “intrigued” by the concept.
The most influential target for potential involvement is Woods. Speaking to reporters Tuesday ahead of the Genesis Invitational, he shared that he has been briefed on some of the details surrounding the PGL but remained noncommittal about its prospects.
“Have I been personally approached? Yes, and my team’s been aware of it and we’ve delved into the details of it and trying to figure it out, just like everyone else,” Woods told reporters. “There’s a lot of information that we’re still looking at, and whether it’s reality or not, but just like everybody else, we’re looking into it.”
Genesis Invitational: Full-field tee times | Full coverage
While it remains to be seen whether the PGL can transform from concept to reality, Woods believes that the core concept propelling the idea - one of a lucrative splinter group challenging the PGA Tour for the loyalty and involvement of the game’s biggest stars - likely won’t go away anytime soon.
“I think that just like all events, you’re trying to get the top players to play more collectively,” Woods said. “And so this is a natural evolution, whether or not things like this are going to happen. But ideas like this are going to happen going forward, whether it’s now or any other time in the future.”