The PGA Tour Champions season ended Nov. 16 with the Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix.
With the brief offseason looming, a look ahead to 2026 involves several issues, including how the PGA Tour will look with reduced field sizes and exempt spots, and the PGA Tour Champions eliminating its national qualifying tournament.
Tiger Woods recently underwent the seventh back surgery of his career, with the 15-time major champion giving no date as of yet for his return.
Notah Begay III talks Tiger Woods’ return
Begay’s long friendship with Woods began in junior golf and continued on the Stanford University golf team, then on the PGA Tour.In the past, Begay has offered insight into Tiger’s thinking that could have been provided by none other than the Big Cat himself. And right now, everyone wants to know what Tiger’s thinking. After competing in the inaugural TGL season early this year, it looked like Woods was primed for the 2025 season. But then Achilles surgery kept him out all year.
Where might Tiger Woods play on the PGA Tour Champions?
- The Tour begins the season in Hawaii with the Mitsubishi Electric Championship Jan. 22-24. But Woods didn’t play very many Tour events in Hawaii, so put a pin in that one.
- The next two tournaments are close to Woods’ home base in Jupiter, the Chubb Classic Feb. 13-15 in Naples and the James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational March 6-8 in Boca Raton.
- The Hoag Classic, March 27-29 is at the Newport Beach Country Club in Orange County, California, where Woods grew up.
- The Senior PGA Championship is at the Concession in Bradenton, April 16-19. Again, not far from Jupiter.
- His next start could be the American Family Insurance Championship, June 5-7 in Madison, Wis., a team event hosted by Steve Stricker, one of Woods’ friends on the PGA Tour.
- Woods may not be able to resist the U.S. Senior Open July 2-5 for two reasons: He can become the first player to win the USGA Grand Slam, the U.S. Junior, the U.S. Amateur, the U.S. Open and the U.S. Senior Open; and then tournament is at the Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio, the home course of Nicklaus, his boyhood idol.
- This might crowd Woods’ schedule, but a week later, the Kaulig Companies Championship is being played at the Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. Woods won PGA Tour events at Firestone eight, count ’em, eight times.
- Woods may also think hard about playing the Ally Challenge in at the Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club in Grand Blanc, Mich Aug. 28-30. He won the PGA Tour event there three times.
- In terms of returning to a place where Woods had moments of glory, there’s the Pure Insurance Championship Sept. 18-20 at the Pebble Beach Golf Links.
- Another tournament in Florida Woods might play is the Constellation Furyk & Friends, Oct. 9-11 at the Hammock Beach Resort in Palm Coast.
- Woods doesn’t have a history at the sites of the other two Senior Majors, the Regions Tradition April 30-May 3 at the Greystone Golf and Country Club in Birmingham, Ala., or the Senior British Open July 23-26 at the Gleneagles Hotel Kings Course in Scotland.