(Reuters) – Tiger Woods said on Tuesday he had been approached by the Premier Golf League (PGL) and was gathering more information about a concept that could be a more lucrative alternative to the PGA Tour.
The British-based World Golf Group last month unveiled plans for a new global tour it hopes to launch in 2022 that would consist of 18 yearly tournaments – each with prize money of $10 million — and feature 48 of the game’s top players.
Woods, speaking to reporters at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California, where he is tournament host for this week’s Genesis Invitational, said he had been briefed on details of the PGL.
“Have I been personally approached? Yes, and my team’s been aware of it and we’ve delved into the details of it and trying to figure it all out, just like everyone else,” said Woods.
“We’ve been down this road before with World Golf Championships and other events being started.
“There’s a lot of information that we’re still looking at and whether it’s reality or not, but just like everybody else, we’re looking into it.”
The PGL said it wanted to work with established tours rather than as a breakaway circuit, but the U.S.-based PGA Tour and European Tour have been all but dismissive about the proposed circuit.
When asked how such a concept could be a possibility, Woods referenced the high-profile World Golf Championships, which were introduced in 1999 as a way to get the world’s best golfers together outside of the four majors and Players Championship.
Woods also suggested that even if the PGL does not get off the ground, the concept of getting the best golfers in the world competing against each other on a more regular basis will not go away anytime soon.
“I think that just like all events, you’re trying to get the top players to play more collectively,” he said.
“And so this is a natural evolution, whether or not things like this are going to happen. But ideas like this are going to happen going forward, whether it’s now or any other time in the future.”
Woods, who is seeking a record-breaking 83rd PGA Tour win this week, will play the opening two rounds alongside Justin Thomas and Steve Stricker.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; editing by Ken Ferris)
