Tiger Woods Returning To PGA Tour Nearly Ten Months After Car Crash

Topline

Tiger Woods announced Wednesday he will play in next week’s PNC Championship, competing with his son in a father-son tournament—his first PGA Tour event since being seriously injured in a single-vehicle car crash in February.

Tiger Woods celebrates on the 18th green after winning the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on … [+] April 14, 2019, in Augusta, Georgia.

Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Key Facts

Woods’ last appearance at a professional golf event was the 2020 Masters Tournament, where he tied for 38th place.

He suffered severe leg injuries when he lost control of his car while driving at a high speed on a winding roadway near Los Angeles before crashing into a tree on February 23, 2021, with Woods later saying he was “lucky” he didn’t lose a leg or his life.

Woods said last month he will “never” play full time on the PGA Tour again following the crash, but plans to still compete at occasional tournaments.

Woods, 45, will appear alongside his 12-year-old son, Charlie, at next week’s tournament in Orlando, Florida, which was formerly known as the “Father/Son Challenge.”

The 36-hole event runs from December 18-19.

Crucial Quote

“Although it’s been a long and challenging year, I am very excited to close it out by competing in the @PNCchampionship with my son Charlie,” Woods tweeted. “I’m playing as a Dad and couldn’t be more excited and proud.”

Key Background

Woods is widely considered one of the greatest golfers of all time, with his dominance throughout the late 1990s into the 2000s propelling him to become one of the most well-known and highest-paid figures in sports. He maintained that profile even as his career was derailed by a marital cheating scandal in 2009 and continued injuries during the 2010s. Woods appeared to be getting back on track in the late 2010s, finishing first at the 2018 Tour Championship before winning the 2019 Masters, considered the most prestigious golf tournament in the world. Woods received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest U.S. civilian honor, from former President Donald Trump in May 2019.

Big Number

$1.5 billion. That’s how much Woods has earned in endorsement deals, appearances and course design fees since turning pro in 1996, according to Forbes’ estimates. Notable current sponsors include Nike, Rolex and Bridgestone.