As Tiger Woods begins his recovery from yet another injury, Rory McIlroy has firmly dismissed any notion of his own career stretching into his 50s.
The 49-year-old Woods ruptured an Achilles while training at home on Tuesday morning and McIlroy believes he will not feature in any of the 2025 Majors.
“It sucks,” McIlroy said. “He doesn’t have much luck when it comes to injuries and his body. Obviously he was trying to ramp up to get ready for Augusta and Achilles surgeries aren’t fun.
“I am hoping he’s in good spirits and hoping he’s doing okay. We obviously won’t see him play golf this year and hopefully we see him maybe play in 2026.”
Woods’s ongoing desire to participate in golf events contrasts starkly with the outlook of McIlroy. The Northern Irishman, who will turn 36 in May, has a clear idea of his professional longevity. “I’m very happy to move aside for the younger generation to come through,” McIlroy said. “I look at other sports. I turned pro in 2007. I’m 18 years into a career. Not a lot of athletes can say they’ve had an 18-year career and I’m only 35.
“I can acknowledge how lucky golfers are to be able to do what they do for so long compared to other athletes, so whenever I feel like the time is right, I’ll have no problem moving aside and letting the next generation do their thing.”
Pressed on precisely when that may be, McIlroy added: “I think when I’ve achieved everything I want to achieve in the game and I get to the point where I don’t think I can maybe do that any more. I’d also like to walk away with a little bit left in the tank. I don’t want to be out there embarrassing myself. I’d like to walk away maybe a little before I should. Put it that way.
“I will not play Champions Tour golf. I’ve said a lot of absolutes in my time that I’ve walked back but I do not envision playing Champions Tour golf. Something has gone terribly wrong if I have to compete at golf at 50.”
McIlroy re-emphasised his desire for a more global approach to elite golf, as talks rumble on between traditional tours and the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund aimed at some form of unification.
In Singapore on Wednesday, Brooks Koepka did not exactly play down the sense he may seek a return to the PGA Tour from the Saudi-backed LIV circuit. The former Masters champion Fred Couples turned heads last week by asserting Koepka has eyes set on a PGA Tour comeback. A widespread assumption is that Koepka, a five-time Major winner, feels undercooked by LIV’s light playing schedule.
“I’ve got a contract obligation out here to fulfil and then we’ll see what happens,” said Koepka. “I don’t know where I’m going, so I don’t know how everybody else does. Right now I’m just focused on how do I play better, how do I play better in the Majors, how does this team win, and then we’ll figure out next year and how to play better again. It’s the same thing. It’s just a revolving cycle. I’ve got nothing. Everybody else seems to know more than I do.”
Philip Reid’s tournament lowdown
Purse: $25 million (€22.9 million) ($4.5 million/€4.15 million to the winner).
Where: Ponte Vedra, Florida.
The course: TPC Sawgrass – 7,352 yards, par 72 – is a so-called “stadium course” which features a large amount of purpose-built mounding around the layout to facilitate spectator viewing. It has been beefed up since Scottie Scheffler’s successful defence a year ago, with 23 yards added to the par-5 second hole and added length to sixth, 11th, and 16th as well. In addition, new trees – palms and oaks – have been planted down the right of the 14th.
Designed by Pete Dye, with input from his wife Alice in the creation of the famed 17th hole island green, the design philosophy includes deep bunkering and small greens, while Dye’s clever tracking around the former swamp encourages players to work the ball both ways off the tee.
It has traditionally made for a stern examination and past winners include both long-hitters and also those more inclined to strategically navigate a way around the course. The signature hole is the par-3 17th but it is part of a very strong closing stretch that also includes the risk-reward par-5 16th which has water down the right and in play around the green, while the par-4 18th has a crescent fairway that works its way along a lake which has water in play all the way up the left-hand side.
The field: The PGA Tour’s flagship event has a stellar field featuring all of the world’s top 10 and also the leading 10 players off this season’s FedEx Cup (with Rory McIlroy seventh and Shane Lowry 10th in those standings). Scottie Scheffler made history last year when successfully defending his title and will attempt to create more history this time by making it three in a row. There are 13 first-timers in the 144 player field.
Playoff holes (if required): Three hole aggregate: (16-17-18), then sudden death 17-18-16.
Quote-Unquote: “TPC Sawgrass is one of my favourite golf courses because it’s so straightforward and it’s so in front of you. But you’ve still got to hit the shots. You have to execute. If you don’t, you’re going to get punished real hard. But also, if you do execute the shots, you’re going to get a lot of opportunities” – Ludvig Åberg, who has moved into the Ponte Vedre area since last year.
Irish in the field: Rory McIlroy is in the standout group with Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele (off the first tee at 5.29pm Irish time); Shane Lowry is grouped with Viktor Hovland and Russell Henley (off the 10th at 12.35pm Irish time); Séamus Power is grouped with JT Poston and Mackenzie Hughes (off the 10th at 1.08pm Irish time).
Betting: Scheffler’s recent form on the Dye masterpiece has him installed as 5-1 favourite, although he has yet to hit the vein of form he showcased last season. McIlroy – a winner in 2019 – and Collin Morikawa, who had the Arnold Palmer snatched from his grasp last week, are each rated 11-1 shots with Åberg a 14-1 chance ... but better value can be found further down the market with in-form Lowry a decent each-way prospect at 33s while Jason Day is worth a look at 50-1.
On TV: Live on Sky Sports Golf from 11.30am.
