Jacob Bridgeman’s second shot at the third round of the 2026 Genesis Invitational on the 568-yard, par-5 11th hole with a 7-wood was almost perfect. It nearly disappeared for an albatross before coming to rest a mere 8 inches from the cup. It was so perfect that it sent Tiger Woods, watching from the CBS commentary booth at Riviera, doubtful about his skills.

“I wish I could hit it like that,” said Woods to Jim Nantz.

Following the shot, CBS Sports’ Jim Nantz connected Bridgeman’s brilliant shot to Tiger Woods’s recovery from his seventh back surgery, noting that the swing looked similar to the full shots Woods mentioned he had been hitting lately. Woods, who turned 50 in December 2025 and is currently recovering from his latest back surgery, laughed before offering a humble reply.

“Yeah, not like that. Not like that yet. [Laughs] I wish… I wish I could hit it like that. My goodness, to see the shot like that… and then, I’ll probably take it,” Woods said.

Jacob Bridgeman’s second shot ‘258 yards to 8 inches,’ was indeed spectacular. But it’s not the only thing Bridgeman did right throughout day 3. The 26-year-old entered the 3rd round with a 1-shot lead over second-place Rory McIlroy. But when the round ended, after hitting six birdies, one eagle, he had a massive six-shot lead over second-place McIlroy entering the final round. And in doing so, he only flinched twice at the par-4 8th and the par-4 15th hole, carding two bogeys.

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Plus, before arriving at Riviera, Bridgeman was already the hottest rising star on Tour, securing four consecutive top-20 finishes to start 2026. T4 at the Sony Open in Hawaii, T13 at the American Express, T18 at the WM Phoenix Open, and T8 at AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. These performances moved him to 52nd in the world rankings and 14th in the FedExCup.

And while Woods was humble enough to deny his current ability, at his prime, there was nothing Woods couldn’t do. Especially using long irons or woods. Tiger preferred a 2-iron over a 7-wood in general, but as I said, there wasn’t anything.

During the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, Woods smashed a 7-iron 202 yards over the ocean to reach the green from a thick rough on the 6th hole. It was famously described as an unfair fight by announcers at that time. Then, in the 2002 Deutsche Bank Championship, Tiger Woods recorded his longest 7-iron shot.

Jack Nicklaus, after observing a young Woods in 1996, noted, “He’s going to be around a long, long time, if his body holds up.” Paul Goydos once famously said to his colleagues, “Boys, this tournament is over,” after watching Woods during a practice round.

But that time has changed. And after the horrific car crash in February 2021, everything changed. It fractured his right tibia and fibula. Woods couldn’t return to competitive golf once again.

And he has not played in an official PGA Tour event since missing the cut at the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon. Since his last competitive start, Woods has undergone two major surgeries: Achilles Repair in March 2025 and his seventh career back surgery in October 2025.

Doctors have instructed Woods to follow a full recovery curve and be patient. While he is now hitting full shots, he admits the quality remains inconsistent. Additionally, he gets sore much faster at age 50.

Most recently, Woods has been visible at the TGL, though he has yet to play a match in the 2026 season due to his ongoing rehab. Regarding his return to the Tour, Woods has stated that the 2026 Masters in April is ‘not off the table.’ He also admitted he is considering the PGA Tour Champions because it allows the use of a cart, something he refuses to do on the regular PGA Tour.

And though sidelined from play, Woods is busier than ever in a role that takes up more time than his prime practicing days.

Tiger Woods’ growing boardroom burden

As a Player Director on the PGA Tour Policy Board and chairman of the Future Competitions Committee, the Big Cat is busier than a beehive in spring. He is leading a massive change of the Tour’s competitive scarcity model for 2027.

“I thought I spent a lot of hours practicing in my prime. It doesn’t even compare to what we’ve done in the boardroom. It’s been driving me hours upon hours every day,” Woods shared.

This committee will look after the PGA Tour’s upcoming changes for the better. But the pressure to manage every organization under the same roof is daunting.

And this pressure in administration is directly impacting his ability to practice. And it has put his future as a Ryder Cup Captain in jeopardy. The PGA of America has approached him to lead the 2027 U.S. Team at Adare Manor recently. But Woods remains undecided.

“I’m trying to figure out if I can actually do our team… if I can do it justice with my time,” Woods explained, noting that serving on two boards makes it difficult to commit at an ‘honorable level.’