It was early September when Tiger Woods looked buff as he swung his club, sending the balls far off. He had the Hero World Challenge in a few months, and fans were almost sure of a comeback. That was until the news of another surgery rolled in. Suddenly, the idea of a full PGA Tour return felt dead. But if Woods takes Jim Furyk’s advice, there’s another path waiting for him.

“I think, honestly, the first thing I’d say is you got to dip a toe… I think just dip a toe, come see what it’s about. Come see if you like it. It’s a lot less taxing on all of us. It’s a lot less taxing on your body,” said Furyk on the Golf Channel Podcast on Monday. Tiger Woods will turn 50 on 30th December, officially becoming eligible to play on the Senior Tour.

For Furyk, such insights come from his own experience. In 2020, he turned 50 and, in all honesty, was not ready to switch gears to the Senior Tour. But when he did, he won the first two starts (The Ally Challenge and The Pure Insurance Championship), becoming the only player after Bruce Fleisher to do so. Still, he didn’t give up the main circuit, eventually dividing his schedule to fit both calendars, as he shared.

“The first full year…I played seven PGA tour events,” he explained. “I played probably 15 Champions Tour events and then every year I went to three, and then I went to one, and then I went, ‘Yeah, it’s time for me to kind of move on.'” The move came when Furyk finally understood the appeal of the Senior Tour, which he is emphasizing to Woods as well.

For the middle-aged players, whose bodies are now wearing down, the shorter rounds, lighter schedules, and most particularly (For Furyk) the carts during practice rounds offer a great respite. “I love the carts in a practice round. Greatest invention of all time,” he says with a smile, but in all seriousness, and we all know what Tiger thinks of using golf carts at PGA Tour events.

Furyk is not required to play a practice round on the Champions Tour, but on the PGA Tour, he’ll have to play “nine holes in three hours.” That pace and structure can be daunting on a body. But the three rounds Senior Tour — a “track meet” as he calls it — helps bring the fun back for players in their 50s.

“Enjoy it,” he said. “It might take a few months, but then one by one, everyone says, ‘You know what? I kind of like this Champions Tour thing. This is a little bit more fun, a little easier on my body.'”

Then there’s also a precedent for players who might want to actually revive their career. Remember Bernhard Langer? He joined the Tour in 2007 and ended up collecting 47 wins, including 12 senior major titles, the most in the Champions Tour history. He is 68 now, and he continues to perform well. His Champions Tour resume now surpasses his PGA Tour and European Tour circuit combined.

By that definition, Tiger Woods might be the apt choice. The last time he won a tournament was in 2019 (Zozo Championship). This might give him that winning spree back, which is unlikely on the main circuit as young players like Scottie Scheffler, Tommy Fleetwood, and others keep dominating.

Moreover, the senior tour seems more than prepared to accommodate the Woods into their roster.

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The Champions Tour is more than ready to have Tiger Woods

In any event that Tiger Woods decides to play in, there are several logistics that need to be kept in mind. Inarguably, he’s the biggest golfer of the modern era, and an increase in security, buses, and a place to hold a larger fan base goes without saying. Just a few days back, PGA Tour Champions president Miller Brady confirmed that they’re ready with all that.

“We’re ready. We’re well prepared,” Brady told Golf Channel. “We’ve done some whiteboarding over the past year in preparation for Tiger turning 50, and if and when he plays, our tournaments will be prepared.”

At the same time, Jim Furyk thinks Woods joining hands with the Senior Tour will be mutually beneficial for both parties.

“Huge impact,” he said on the podcast about Tiger Woods’ impact on the Champions Tour. Furyk also believes that, as compared to the PGA Tour, the senior circuit is far more valuable. “We play in a lot of cities where the tour doesn’t go,” he explains. “Midwest cities, Sou Falls, Madison, Wisconsin. We go to a number of amazing communities, raise a lot of money for charity.”

Every tournament on the PGA Tour Champions joins hands with the local charities of that city. In 2024, the American Family Insurance Championship raised over $2.5 M, which they distributed to children’s hospitals and other local charities.

But that’s not all. Senior Tour players are also eager to play with Woods. In August, Ernie Els expressed his desire. “Please come play,” he told him. With just a few weeks left of his eligibility, the time might be for Woods to literally dip a toe.