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Tiger Woods: Premier Golf League hold ‘talks’ with former world No 1 to rival PGA Tour

The new league would see players compete for a $240 million prize fund with Woods admitting he is assessing his options

Jack Rathborn
Wednesday 12 February 2020 08:59 GMT
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Tiger Woods is assessing the details of the PGL
Tiger Woods is assessing the details of the PGL (Getty)

Tiger Woods has been approached by the Premier Golf League (PGL) but the former world No 1 remains cautious and keen to seen more information about the concept that threatens to offer a more lucrative option to players than the PGA Tour.

The British-based World Golf Group announced plans for a revolutionary global tour last month, which would launch in 2022 with 18 tournaments and 48 top players competing for a prize pool of $10 million.

And Woods, who is preparing at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California, as host for the Genesis Invitational, has revealed talks are at an early stage with the PGL.

"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 all out, just like everyone else," said Woods.

"We've been down this road before with World Golf Championships and other events being started.

"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."

The PGL said it wanted to work with established tours rather than as a breakaway circuit, but the U.S.-based PGA Tour and European Tour have been all but dismissive about the proposed circuit.

When asked how such a concept could be a possibility, Woods referenced the high-profile World Golf Championships, which were introduced in 1999 as a way to get the world's best golfers together outside of the four majors and Players Championship.

Tiger Woods at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines South (Getty)

Woods also suggested that even if the PGL does not get off the ground, the concept of getting the best golfers in the world competing against each other on a more regular basis will not go away anytime soon.

"I think that just like all events, you're trying to get the top players to play more collectively," he 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."

Woods, who is seeking a record-breaking 83rd PGA Tour win this week, will play the opening two rounds alongside Justin Thomas and Steve Stricker.

Reuters contributed to this report

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