PGA Tour’s 2016-17 Schedule Could Have Hints As To When Tiger Woods Will Play Again

Last Sunday at Congressional, there was Tiger Woods decked out in his Sunday Red, looking like the guy who used to win on Sundays rather than a guy who now just watches on Sundays.

Woods was an amiable host there at Congressional, rooting for eventual winner Billy Hurley III, taking a turn in the CBS booth to do some commentary and walking around with his kids as well.

Busy man, doing everything but what he wants to be doing and that is playing golf on the PGA Tour.

Of course Jim Nance and Nick Faldo had to address the 1,000-pound elephant in the booth, you know, THE QUESTION, that question that has become the biggest unanswered question in the world of golf for what seems like more than a year now. “When will you play again, Tiger?”

Tiger, being Tiger, has his answers down pat. He pulls out the “I want to take my time” card and that’s the proper one. You sense there is genuine fear in Woods this time. No coming back too soon, he’s not sure, he’s certainly not able right now. “I don’t want another surgery,” he said matter-of-factly, yes, fear. Fear that another surgery and it’s all over, finished, done, call it a career, a great one, but a done one.

Woods recounted how he has come back too soon in the past, still managed to win and win a major but this time, things are different. He is 40 and will be 41 in six months. Whatever happened to the skinny, twig of a kid who blew ’em away at Augusta in 1997?

Truth is, he’s long gone.

So instead of asking the worn-out question, perhaps it’s time to look at the 2016-17 PGA Tour schedule and figure out when we will see Tiger Woods actually compete again.

You can write off the rest of 2016. No British, no PGA, no playoffs, no Ryder Cup.

Will Tiger Woods tee it up in one of those rinky-dink cross-over events in the late fall that now start the season?

Phil Mickelson will play in Napa at the Safeway. Tiger at the Safeway? Not likely.

It’s equally tough to see him in Jackson, Mississippi (Sanderson Farms).

He’s not going to come back in a overseas event.

Which leads us to the end of the crossover — November 14-20 — The RSM at Sea Island, home of Tiger’s pal, Davis Love III. Now if Woods is finally feeling up to it, that could logically be the place. Just a short flight there from West Palm Beach on the Air Tiger.

If we see Tiger in 2016, that could be the setting.

If we do not see Tiger in 2016, then when?

Take a look at the week of January 23-29 and look where the tour stops. Yes, Torrey Pines, one of Tiger’s FAVORITE courses, one he really loves.

Now that could well be the spot, totally, seriously. That gives him nearly seven months to get himself ready and able to actually compete.

If he doesn’t play by then, he may never play again.

Seriously?

Damn serious.