Tiger Woods hints at shock career change with surprise TV appearance amid fears for his golf future

Golf legend Tiger Woods catches stray from major champ: "It doesn't help him" | Golfmagic

Golf fans believe Tiger Woods should swap the fairways for the booth amid his fresh slew of injury concerns.

The 15-time major winner joined the Golf Channel broadcast during the final round of the Hero World Challenge – the PGA Tour tournament that he hosts in the Bahamas – on Sunday.

And the 49-year-old appeared to be right at home as he eased into light conversation and banter with his fellow professional turned commentator Kevin Kisner.

Woods seized the chance to rib his Jupiter Links teammate over a thinned bunker shot from Kisner that hit the flag pole during a TGL match earlier this year.

‘So, since you’ve been practicing your chipping and putting, are you ready for me to come down there and whack you for the TGL season coming up,’ Kisner jokingly asked, sparking the trash talk.

‘Hey, I’ve seen you chip,’ Woods chirped back. ‘I know you can putt. I think we can work on the bunker game a little bit.’

Tiger Woods made an appearance during the coverage of the Hero World Challenge
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Tiger Woods made an appearance during the coverage of the Hero World Challenge

The 15-time winner was in the Bahamas to host the PGA Tour event despite not playing
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The 15-time winner was in the Bahamas to host the PGA Tour event despite not playing

As the broadcast replayed Kisner’s TGL mishap, Woods joked that it was the ‘all-time best’ and admitted that he had ‘never cried like this before,’ while laughing.

The golf legend went on to break down his iconic long-range 6-iron recovery from a fairway bunker at the 2000 Canadian Open that sailed 213 yards over water to find the back of the green and ultimately seal his victory.

‘Technically we both missed a green,’ Woods joked referring to himself and Kisner.

‘We’re kinda the same but a little different,’ Kisner added.

Fans went wild for Woods’ appearance in the broadcast booth with many calling for him to become a regular fixture.

‘Tiger in the booth is pure comedy gold,’ claimed one, while another added: ‘Tiger would make an awesome broadcaster in the future!!!’

The 82-time PGA Tour winner’s on-air appearance came amid great speculation over his future on the course.

Woods has not played competitively since the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon amid a fresh slew of injury woes that have seen him plummet out of the top-2,000 in the Official World Golf Rankings.

He revealed last week his recovery from back surgery is not going 'as fast as I'd like it to be'
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He revealed last week his recovery from back surgery is not going ‘as fast as I’d like it to be’

Woods is pictured with daughter Sam, 18, and son Charlie, 16 at the 2024 PNC Championship
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Woods is pictured with daughter Sam, 18, and son Charlie, 16 at the 2024 PNC Championship

He suffered his latest setback in October when he underwent a disc replacement in his spine, sparking uncertainty over whether he will ever be able to return to the top level of the sport.

And Woods himself admitted last week that his recovery isn’t going as well as he had hoped it would.

‘I just got cleared last week to chip and putt so that’s good,’ he said at a press conference before the Hero World Challenge event he hosts in The Bahamas.

‘It’s been six weeks (since his surgery). It’s been slow and you can’t really do anything on a disc replacement. You’ve got to let it set.

‘Now we’ve got the ok to start cranking up a little bit in the gym, start strengthening and doing more of the rotational component that I haven’t been able to do.’

Woods will turn 50 on December 30, making him officially eligible to compete on the senior tour and he said he ‘would probably play 25 events on both tours’.

In 2022, Woods played just three tournaments and in 2023 he managed just two. In 2024, he appeared five times but missed the cut at the PGA Championship, US Open and The Open.

Back in October, The Daily Mail spoke to a source close to the golfer to find out how he plans to recover – and if he wants to play again when he is back healthy.

The 15-time major winner sparked fears when he underwent his seventh back procedure
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The 15-time major winner sparked fears when he underwent his seventh back procedure

A source told The Daily Mail that the 49-year-old golfer, pictured with girlfriend Vanessa Trump, is still eyeing a comeback in order to end his career on this own terms
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A source told The Daily Mail that the 49-year-old golfer, pictured with girlfriend Vanessa Trump, is still eyeing a comeback in order to end his career on this own terms

‘He’s not stupid. He knows things are winding down, and he’s coming to terms with it,’ the insider admitted. ‘He’s turning 50 this year.

‘He won’t retire but he’s slowing down. He wants to do at least one more major and to perform well in it. He wants to end the career with a bang, not a whimper. But right now, we’ll have to see.’

The source close to Woods stressed that the golfer’s main focus at present is his recovery – and that will determine his future.

‘He’s not in denial, but he wants to push himself until there’s nothing more he can do. It depends on his recovery if he’s there yet or not. Seems pretty likely that he is,’ they added.