Tiger Woods Eyes PGA Tour Champions Return Amid LIV Divide

Tiger Woods is seriously weighing a move to PGA Tour Champions for the 2027 season, according to two-time circuit champion Steven Alker, who says the buzz among senior players has been building ahead of this week's Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

Why would Woods join PGA Tour Champions?

Woods turned 50 this year, opening the door to a tour that allows carts, three-round events and a lighter schedule than the PGA Tour. Alker, speaking at a Phoenix Country Club media day, said Woods has told friends on the circuit that he wants to target marquee events such as those hosted by Steve Stricker and Jim Furyk.

The US Senior Open stands out. A victory there would give Woods a 10th USGA championship, a solo record ahead of Bobby Jones, who won nine.

How divided are PGA Tour Champions players on LIV Golf veterans?

Alker said the membership is split on whether to welcome LIV Golf players once they turn 50, and on whether to apply the same suspension terms the PGA Tour has handed down to players who signed with the Saudi-backed league. Some LIV defectors have received six-month bans; others have been suspended for a year.

"Where do you draw the line?" Alker said of the debate inside the tour's Player Advisory Council.

He said the council and the tour's president will ultimately decide how returning LIV players are treated, with the circuit now responsible for its own finances after losing PGA Tour pension payments.

PGA Tour Champions needs star power to replace lost pension funding, but its players are split on which stars should be allowed back.

The Charles Schwab Cup Championship, the season finale, begins next week in Phoenix. The 2027 schedule, and any decision on Woods or returning LIV players, has not been announced.