On the golf course, Tiger Woods made an impact that’s rivaled arguably by only two other players — Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus.
Now he has a chance to make as significant an impact off the course at a time when the sport is at a seriously-uncertain crossroads.
Woods, 47, on Tuesday was announced by the PGA Tour as joining the its Policy Board in an effort to provide the transparency to membership that has not existed for too long.
All you need to know about the power and influence of the players on PGA Tour policy and decision-making is the fact that they were kept completely in the dark about the “framework agreement’’ the tour came to with controversial Saudi-backed LIV golf on June 6.
The players were blindsided when PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan sat down with Yasir al-Rumayyan, the governor of the PIF that funds LIV, to announce the agreement on CNBC.
The shock that followed left PGA Tour players livid at the lack of transparency from their own tour.
Whether the presence of Woods as the sixth player director of the tour’s Policy Board is able to make a difference remains to be seen. But if it does, it’ll add to the legacy he’s already left as a player with a record 82 PGA Tour wins, 15 major championships and how he changed the game as a more athletic one, completely raising the bar.
Tiger Woods was added the Player Advisory Council (PAC) as a sixth player director at a critical time for the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. Getty ImagesOne of the fair criticisms of Woods during his playing career has been how absent he has been when it comes to speaking out on important issues, especially given the power of his platform. In that, he has very much followed the pattern of former NBA superstar Michael Jordan, who not surprisingly, was one of Woods’ mentors.
Now, Woods has a chance to make a tangible difference for his fellow players, many of whom are still reeling from the surprise alignment announcement and are harboring bitter trust issues regarding Monahan and the entire PGA Tour brass.
Everything to know about the PGA Tour-LIV Golf merger
PGA Tour and LIV Golf are ending a war — by joining forces.
The two golf leagues, along with the European DP World Tour, are merging into one company after a period of fierce rivalry, one where LIV Golf defectors were banned from competing on the Tour.
LIV, financed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund and led by legendary golfer Greg Norman, lured some of the top names in golf last year with reported nine-figure contracts, including Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau.
Other huge golf names, however, like Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, stayed loyal to the Tour, despite being offered a massive amount of money.
Follow The Post’s coverage of the PGA Tour-LIV Golf merger
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- PGA Tour players furious after learning about LIV merger through Twitter
- Brooks Koepka buries Brandel Chamblee with four words after PGA-LIV merger
- LIV golfers will ‘definitely’ be fined if they want to rejoin PGA Tour
Norman said last year Woods turned down a payday in the range of $700 million-$800 million to stick with the PGA Tour.
With the merger, the Saudi-backed LIV and the Tour are ending an antitrust battle and agreed to end all litigation between the two sides.
“After two years of disruption and distraction, this is a historic day for the game we all know and love,” PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement. “This transformational partnership recognizes the immeasurable strength of the PGA TOUR’s history, legacy and pro-competitive model.”
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“Tiger’s voice and leadership throughout his career have contributed immeasurably to the success of the PGA Tour, and to apply both to our governance and go-forward plan at this crucial time is even more welcomed and impactful,” Monahan said Tuesday.
“I am honored to represent the players of the PGA Tour,” Woods said in a statement Tuesday. “This is a critical point for the tour, and the players will do their best to make certain that any changes that are made in tour operations are in the best interest of all tour stakeholders, including fans, sponsors and players.’’
The move to add Woods is believed to have been made at the request of several players who reached out to tour leadership in the hope that his presence will give players more of a voice over what the new PGA Tour will look like in the uncertain aftermath of the “framework agreement’’ they had no say in.
Woods joins Rory McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay, Webb Simpson, Peter Malnati and Charley Hoffman as player directors. The board also includes five independent directors and the PGA of America director.
According to the release put out by the PGA Tour, Woods and the board “will work together to amend the policy board’s governing documents to make it clear that no major decision can be made in the future without the prior involvement and approval of the player directors.”
Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods. Getty ImagesThe release also stated that the board has the full authority to approve or decline the proposed deal with PIF.
Justin Thomas, speaking to reporters on Tuesday in advance of the Wyndham Championship, which will be played this week in Greensboro, N.C., called the addition of Woods “important’’ for the future of the tour. He praised Woods for taking a leadership role.
“He takes the future of the PGA Tour very seriously and he wants it to be in the best hands possible and it to be in the best position possible,’’ Thomas said. “I think it would be very easy for someone like him, [with] all he’s done … just kind of like, ‘What do I need to do? I’ve made the tour what it is, where it’s at financially, all the sponsors, TV deals’ … and it would be pretty easy for him to just hide under a rock the rest of his life and be just fine.
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan faced criticism after the PGA-LIV merger. Getty Images“But that’s not who he is, he wants to continue to see the PGA Tour grow and succeed.”
Woods has been out of action for months while rehabbing his ailing ankle, and his future playing status remains unknown. But he has a chance now to make a huge impact on the direction of the game off the golf course. That’s something that bears watching.




