To my surprise, I found a bunker tip from Mickelson that’s simple, yet genius.
Charlie Woods, 15, son of pro golfer Tiger Woods, competed in the U.S. Open local qualifying event on Thursday April 25, 2024, at the Legacy Golf and Tennis Club in the St. Lucie West development of Port St. Lucie. He did not advance, finishing with a 9-over 81. He was one of 84 entries competing in the local event, with five advancing to 36-hole qualifying in June. / ERIC HASERT/TCPALM / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Florida High School Athletic Association made a big decision recently, allowing student-athletes to sign NIL deals.
Allowing high school athletes to sign NIL deals also meant that they could hire agents, but only for NIL reasons. It was something that was reported on, but the decision comes as an interesting one.
However, if college athletes can be paid for their Name, Image, and Likeness, why can’t high school students? At the end of the day, all this does is put money into deserving student athletes’ pockets.
Florida has some of the top recruits in the country when it comes to sports. One name to watch out for in the new NIL space is Charlie Woods, the son of legendary golfer, Tiger Woods. Typically, NIL deals are well-known in the football and basketball space, but Charlie adds a different dynamic due to who he is.
According to Woods’ high school coach, Toby Harbeck, he’s certain someone is going to attempt to sign him to NIL deals. He had the following to say, according to Palm Beach Sports.
“They’re smart enough to know what’s good, what’s not good,” Harbeck said of the Woods. “I’m sure someone’s going to approach him with [NIL] … but they’re so smart and they’ve got such good people around them that I think the only thing we need to be careful of is making sure we’re all aware of what’s going on − and that deals with all kids.”
This is an interesting comment from Charlie’s head coach and one that often gets overlooked. While NIL deals are to be beneficial, it’s also important for athletes to find deals they’re comfortable with.
And for the Woods family, they don’t need to jump at every NIL deal. Other athletes might see money in front of them and do whatever they need to land those deals.
Charlie has the fame, money, and everything else.
Perhaps he lands deals with many of Tiger’s sponsorships, similar to LeBron James and Bronny.
The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) has recently introduced a significant change that could greatly impact young golfer Charlie Woods‘ future. The FHSAA now permits student-athletes to sign Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals with brands, allowing them to earn money. Additionally, high school athletes can hire agents, but solely for NIL purposes.
Charlie Woods has been garnering attention due to his striking resemblance to his father, Tiger Woods, and his impressive performances on the golf course. Having participated in the PNC Championship four times alongside his famous father, it’s no surprise that he has caught the eye of many. With these new FHSAA regulations, it’s likely that a wave of NIL deals will come his way. The question is, will he sign any of these deals? Has he already?
There have been rumors that Charlie Woods might be on the verge of signing a NIL deal, especially after he was seen wearing the wolf emblem of Greyson, which sparked speculation about a potential sponsorship. However, the post related to this has since been deleted, and in recent months, Charlie has been seen sporting different brands.
When asked about potential NIL deals, his high school coach, Toby Harbeck, expressed confidence in the Woods family’s ability to make smart decisions. He stated: “I’m sure someone’s going to approach him with [NIL] … but they’re so smart and they’ve got such good people around them that I think the only thing we need to be careful of is making sure we’re all aware of what’s going on and that deals with all kids.”
How Charlie Woods and family plan to handle NIL opportunities
It seems that the Woods family is taking a cautious approach when it comes to potential NIL deals for Charlie. Despite the attention and opportunities coming his way, they are focused on making informed decisions and ensuring that they are aware of all the implications. This approach reflects a thoughtful and strategic mindset, emphasizing the importance of being well-informed in navigating the world of NIL deals.
As Charlie Woods continues to make waves in the golfing world, it will be interesting to see how he and his family navigate the opportunities presented by these recent changes in high school athletics. The potential for NIL deals opens up new avenues for young athletes like Charlie, and it’s clear that the Woods family is approaching this opportunity with careful consideration.
Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will reunite at this week’s PGA Championship, with both set to attend the annual champions’ dinner which takes place on Tuesday.
Woods and Mickelson have undoubtedly had their differences in recent years, having had polarising views on the fallout between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. Woods unsurprisingly remained loyal to the Tour, whilst Mickelson became a trailblazer for the Saudi-backed series in 2022.
The pair have rarely come across each other since, but this week will reunite in a more intimate atmosphere as guests of B rooks Koepka’s champions dinner in Kentucky ahead of the beginning of the 2024 U.S. PGA on Thursday.
The legendary pair have both enjoyed plenty success at the PGA. 15-time major champion Woods has won the The Wanamaker Trophy on four occasions during his career, with his victories coming in 1999, 2000, 2006 and 2007. Mickelson meanwhile has two PGA titles to his name.
His first came in 2005, before he made golfing history with his most recent triumph in 2021. In winning the PGA Championship three years ago, the HyFlyers captain became the oldest major champion in history, seeing off fellow LIV stars Louis Oosthuizen and Koepka at the age of 50 at Kiawah Island.
Just one year later though, Mickelson failed to attend his title defence having entered golfing exile after raising eyebrows by pledging his support to a start-up Saudi golf league now known as LIV Golf. The six-time major winner described the Middle Eastern state as ‘scary’ amid their poor human rights record, but committed support to the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia-backed project in order to ‘gain leverage’ over the PGA Tour.
On the back of the comments, ‘Lefty’ took a step back from public life which led to him missing the chance to defend his PGA crown at Southern Hills one month before his LIV debut. Even in his absence Mickelson proved to be the talk of the tournament heading into the opening round, and Woods had his say on Mickelson’s Saudi comments.
“It’s always disappointing when the defending champion is not here,” the four-time winner said in 2022. “Phil has said some things that I think a lot of us who are committed to the Tour and committed to the legacy of the Tour have pushed back against, and he’s taken some personal time, and we all understand that…
“I have not reached out to him. I have not spoken to him. A lot of it has not to do with I think personal issues. It was our viewpoints of how the Tour should be run and could be run, and what players are playing for and how we are playing for it. I have a completely different stance on, and so no, I have not.”
Mickelson then made a return one year later in 2023, but one man who was then absent from the field was his old-rival Woods. The pair will now finally tee if up together at the second major of the year for the first time since 2020, and will be sat around the same table in honour of 2023 champion Koepka.
This will not be the first time the pair have shared an evening meal and glass of wine or two in recent weeks though. The pair were among the attendees at last month’s champions’ dinner at the Masters, after LIV’s record-breaking signing Jon Rahm played host after winning the green jacket in 2023.
PGA Tour and LIV Golf representatives, including Tiger Woods, are set to meet in-person in New York on Friday as they bid to strike a deal to end the game’s power struggle.
Thursday marks a year to the day that the PGA Tour and Saudi-backed LIV announced they would try and merge in news that shook the sport to its core.
Progress since then has been slow but according to The New York Times, key figures from both sides are now set to meet in New York on Friday. The report says that ‘both sides caution that a breakthrough is far from imminent.’
Woods is expected to be joined by John Henry, the Liverpool FC and Boston Red Sox owner who is on the PGA Tour’s transaction committee.
The Times says Rory McIlroy, one of LIV’s most vociferous critics before the merger news came out, will be joining the call remotely as he is playing in the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield. McIlroy tees off for his second round at 9:55am local time.
Woods, a member of the PGA Tour policy board, recently hosted a meeting with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and Yasir Al-Rumayyan – the governor of PIF, which funds LIV, in the Bahamas.
Adam Scott, another PGA Tour player director, said earlier this week that talks between the PGA and LIV would advance soon.
‘I think the PGA Tour has a vision of what it wants to look like 12, 18 (months) and then going forward, five, 10 and 20, you know, or at least 10 years down the line, let’s say, and what it should evolve into,’ he said to Golfweek.
‘But at the moment there’s another party that they’re negotiating with that has to believe in that vision as well, and I don’t know exactly what their vision is.
‘I think we are getting there, for sure. Eventually someone is going to have to put it out exactly what it is, and I think that will happen very soon. You have to break the ice, kind of, and someone has to show a hand. It’s got to happen soon. It’s moving along as quickly as it can.’
Last month, McIlroy admitted he is ‘concerned’ that the merger talks are heading for the rocks.
The world No 2 has transformed into a strong advocate for Saudi investment as a means of ending the hostilities with LIV.
But following the resignation from the Tour’s policy board of Jimmy Dunne, the investment banker who had orchestrated last year’s framework agreement between the warring parties, McIlroy’s hopes of seeing a unified game seem to have plummeted.
Dunne chose to stand down because ‘no meaningful progress’ had been made despite almost a year of negotiations, while also inferring that too much power had been placed in the hands of a select group of player directors, including Woods, Jordan Spieth and Patrick Cantlay.
Speaking ahead of the US PGA Championship, McIlroy said: ‘Honestly I think it’s a huge loss for the PGA Tour (that Dunne is leaving the process), if they are trying to get this deal done with the PIF.
‘Jimmy was basically “the” relationship, the sort of conduit between the Tour and PIF. It’s been really unfortunate that he has not been involved for the last few months, and I think part of the reason that everything is stalling at the minute is because of that.
‘So it is really, really disappointing, and you know, I think the Tour is in a worse place because of it. We’ll see where it goes from here and we’ll see what happens.
‘But you know, I would say my confidence level on something getting done before last week was as low as it had been and then with this news of Jimmy resigning and knowing the relationship he has with the other side, and how much warmth there is from the other side, it’s concerning.’
Not for the first time in his career, fans are concerned about the welfare of Tiger Woods after he featured in an interview for his charity foundation in Las Vegas.
The 48-year-old was in Sin City for a poker event alongside professional player Phil Hellmuth and gaming streamer Ninja as part of his charity TGR Foundation, the non-profit he founded in 1996.
In a video clip posted by Hellmuth on Friday, Woods wore a groggy expression on his face and his cheeks appeared to be swollen.
“I’m so proud of Tiger at the TGR foundation, we’re doing Tiger‘s poker night,” Hellmuth said in the video uploaded to X. “We’re going to raise a million, maybe $2million dollars. It’s a really nice event.”
But as Woods spoke in the video, he struggled to get his words out coherently and it wasn’t difficult for fans to notice. Hellmuth praised his charity work and asked him for his favorite moment, to which he replied: “It’s the stories that the kids come back and tell.
“The first generation to ever go to college. Parents said you’d never go to college, grandparents say you’d never go to college, it’s useless. All of a sudden, they’re in college flourishing, going to Stanford, Harvard, MIT, and Yale, going to amazing places doing amazing things. One of our girls … she’s one of the directors who landed one of the rovers on Mars.”
Fans think Tiger Woods was intoxicated
The clip only lasted for 90 seconds, but it was enough to cause some concern amongst his fans, who made their thoughts clear on social media – with some suggesting he may have been under the influence.
One user wrote: “damn, I hope Tiger is OK…”, while another said: “Tiger looks so sauced!!” another user replied.
The 15-time Major winner’s private life has divided opinion over the last decade, but it seems burning at the candle at both ends may be catching up with the American golfing legend.
Woods, who has a net worth of around $1.3bn, pled guilty in a DUI case in 2017 where he allegedly had five different drugs – Vicodin, Dilaudid, Xanax, Ambien and THC – in his system.
He also suffered career-threatening injuries in a car crash in 2021, with his right leg requiring an extensive operation, and it forced him to be hospitalized for three weeks.
Collin Morikawa spent some quality time with Tiger Woods last week in Las Vegas for ‘Tiger Jam,’ the fundraiser for the TGR Foundation.
Morikawa said the 15-time major can hit any shot he wants to, but as the golfing world knows, the biggest knock on Woods right now is that he struggles to walk for 18 holes—let alone for four straight days.
And yet, Morikawa explained why Woods would never request to use a golf cart during a major or a PGA Tour event.
“His ego’s pretty big, as is all of ours,” Morikawa said ahead of the Memorial Tournament.
“I just think he wants to keep [playing] until he can’t, and maybe there’s something about a golf cart that’s just ain’t it. I would be taking a golf cart if they allowed me. I would love to.”
The PGA Tour Champions—the circuit for players 50 and older—allows its members to use a golf cart if they receive ADA clearance. Bernhard Langer recently did so, which explains why the 66-year-old can still compete, even though he tore his Achilles in February. Langer also said that he “can’t walk,” and yet, he came close to winning last week at the Principal Charity Classic.
Woods, who is 18 years younger than Langer, uses a cart when practicing at home, but has never utilized one during tournament play. He insists on walking like everyone else, but nobody has to work like he does just to stroll a golf course.
But nobody has an ego like Woods, either.
Phil Mickelson is riding towards his post-retirement career. In a golf cart with Brendan Steele on his side. After snubbing broadcasting plans, the 53-year-old posted a clip on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle with his LIV colleague. They appeared to be shooting the first episode of ‘Pros vs. Schmos that the veteran revealed to be his next career plan just days ago.
Lefty joked, “I feel like we’re in the episode of Seinfeld the Bizarro world.” The 53-year-old was referring to the third episode from season 8 of Seinfeld, where George Costanza and Cosmo Kramer meet their doppelgangers but they are the total opposite of each other.
Steele, who most recently won at LIV Golf Adelaide, continues the thread. “Yeah, up is down, down is up. You say ‘goodbye’ when you arrive, and ‘hello’ when you leave.” A little taken aback, Mickelson replied, “What? That’s what I feel is happening.” Well, Mickelson’s goodbye to Golf will be his ‘hello’ to a new career on YouTube.
Phil Mickelson earlier clarified that he would be very much interested in playing 9-hole matches, with insightful commentaries along the way. That response came after one fan floated the idea of Mickelson moving to broadcasting. The 45-time PGA Tour winner replied, “However, just cuz someone CAN do something doesn’t mean they SHOULD do it. Instead of commentating, I’m going to shoot some Pros vs Schmos 9 hole matches. I’ll share insights throughout as well as talk a little smack.”
Ian Poulter was ready to sign up. Lamenting their ruined chances facing each other as Ryder Cup captains, the Englishman wrote, “I’m happy to be the Schmos if you like..” As was Wesley Bryan and his brother George Bryan IV, both of whom played in the Myrtle Beach Classic recently.
Ultimately, it appears, Mickelson will start his journey with his close friend Steele. They both have played practice matches before. And Steele has credited Mickelson for a lot of help in his golf career. The six-time Major winner, though, is sticking to his plans of hanging up his golf clubs as he revealed in a recent interview.
Rory McIlroy looks to one-up Phil Mickelson soon
Lefty first talked about retirement in a chat with Haslinda Amin of Bloomberg. “I’m 53 now. and my career, you know, it’s — if I’m being truthful, it’s on — it’s — it’s — I’m a — it’s towards its end.” The veteran golfer has only been in the top ten twice since last May. At the Masters, Lefty tied for 43rd. The lack of OWGR points has also pushed Mickelson outside of the top 100 in the Official World Golf Ranking. The six-time Major winner was 80th last May and now he is 160th.
On top of that, Rory McIlroy has closed the gap on the PGA Tour money list. Phil Mickelson has $96 million in career earnings, standing second right behind Tiger Woods, courtesy of 45 career wins and 536 cuts made. But McIlroy, after his fourth Wells Fargo Championship title, is just $10 million away from Lefty. At 35, the Ulsterman has plenty of time to usurp Mickelson from the second spot. However, per reports, the oldest major winner earned $200 million in guaranteed contract in joining LIV. Both are two-time PGA Championship winners, and both will head toward Valhalla this week to increase their tally.
In a sport beset by change, recent and unwelcome
, a nostalgic comfort is found in one thing that remains familiar after all these years.
There’s still nothing like watching Tiger Woods hit a golf ball.
“His skill level, his talent is still just mesmerizing,” said fellow PGA Tour golfer Max Homa.
The Big Cat isn’t back. Not by his standards.
But he’s here.
Woods, 48, is teeing it up at this week’s PGA Championship at Valhalla, where he won this tournament in 2000 – literally half a lifetime ago. His appearance is a rare treat for golf fans who’ve grow accustomed to seldom seeing him prowl the links anymore.
Since July 2022, Woods has played in only five PGA Tour events – and he withdrew from two.
The competitive spirit is willing, but physically? That’s his question, and it isn’t going away.
Woods said Tuesday his body feels “OK.” That he is “always going to feel soreness and stiffness in my back.” That he wishes his “game was a little sharper,” because, after all, he doesn’t play much. He also said that he appreciates all this more, also because he doesn’t play much.
And yet, Woods said this, too, like a man who meant it: “I still feel that I can win golf tournaments.”
“I still feel I can hit the shots,” he said. “I still feel like I have my hands around the greens, and I can putt. I just need to do it for all four days.”
For anyone old enough to remember Woods in his prime, it’s odd – and, frankly, a little sad – to imagine him sitting at the site of a major tournament, having to convince anyone of his capacity to play golf at the highest level.
Being a massive underdog, it doesn’t suit Woods, given the unmistakable aura and massive crowds that accompany his every step on a golf course. But at the same time, it’d be truly stunning for him to repeat his previous PGA win here at Valhalla. Too many of those steps on this golf course.
Old baseball pitchers will tell you, years after retiring, that they’d still be capable of heating up their arms for one, good, vintage performance. The trouble would come with asking their aging arms to keep doing it again and again against younger competition.
Woods figures to still be capable of one special shot or putt or round, “but when that energy and that adrenaline wears off either sometime Thursday or Friday, what does he have after that?” said Curtis Strange, former golfer-turned-ESPN-analyst.
Last month, Woods made the cut at The Masters with rounds of 73 and 72, but he followed it with disappointing rounds of 82 and 77 to finish at 16-over-par, last among those who golfed into the weekend in Augusta.
“Getting around is more of the difficulty that I face, day to day, and the recovery, pushing myself either in practice or on competitive days,” Woods said. “I mean, you saw it at Augusta. I was there after two days and didn’t do very well on the weekend.”
The head tells you he has no chance, but the heart wants to listen to Homa, who played alongside Woods for those first two rounds at The Masters.
“It’s always going to be crazy to think he’d win another one,” Homa said, “but watching him play those two days at Augusta, I very much thought he could win another golf tournament. …
“I’d put nothing past him at this point.”