‘If you can’ – Tiger Woods challenged to make golf comeback in brand new setting

Ernie Els has called on Tiger Woods to return to golf on the PGA Tour Champions.

The 15-time major winner will be eligible for their events once he turns 50 in December.

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An appearance on the PGA Tour Champions would end Woods’ long-running absence from the course.

He has not played competitively since missing the cut at the 2024 Open Championship in July last year.

It follows a devastating Achilles injury suffered in March prior to his planned appearance at the Masters.

Els has now urged Woods to join him on the over-50s circuit, which was previously known as the Champions Tour.

Asked about the prospect of the 49-year-old teeing it up alongside him next season, he told reporters: “Beat us again… if you can.”

The South African continued: “I’ve said, please come play. And I think it can only be beneficial to him.

“He will get himself in golf shape. You can ride a cart without any shame and if there was one guy that should be able to drive a cart, it’s him. And he can get his a** back in shape.”

Els is a four-time major winner himself after a pair of victories at both the US Open and The Open.

He also has seven PGA Tour Champions wins to his name, most recently at this year’s Mitsubishi Electric Championship in January.

Meanwhile, Woods underwent surgery on his ruptured Achilles in March, which ruled him out of the entire 2025 season.

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He had previously appeared in the inaugural TGL campaign at the start of the year after founding the indoor golf league alongside Rory McIlroy.

A record-equalling 82-time winner on the PGA Tour, Woods will become eligible for the PGA Tour Champions on December 30.

Woods has previously hinted at a switch to the senior circuit, as revealed by Padraig Harrington last year.

Harrington, an 11-time winner on the tour, explained: “I met Tiger recently and he said he was looking forward to coming out onto the Champions Tour. So he has an intention of playing.

“I think his words were, ‘I can’t wait to beat you out on the Champions Tour’, or something like that.

“He doesn’t want me to have it all my own way, let’s put it like that! I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

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What is the PGA Tour Champions?

The PGA Tour Champions was launched in 1980 as the Senior PGA Tour and later became the Champions Tour.

Events are open to players aged 50 or older, although qualification for them is complicated.

If not already on the tour’s money list, players can earn eligibility by being in the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Woods was inducted into the Hall of Fame’s competitor category in 2022.

This year’s tour consists of 28 events including five major championships.

Amongst those are the Senior PGA Championship, US Senior Open and Senior Open.

In comparison, the 2025 PGA Tour will conclude in November after 46 events over the course of the season.