Tiger Woods’s Comeback in Serious Jeopardy as Brian Rolapp Assigns Him New Responsibilities, Per Insider

The last time we saw Tiger Woods on the course was at the 2024 Open Championship, where he missed the cut. Since then, he’s stayed sidelined. But as Woods nears 50, many are wondering what’s next for the legend — especially as the new PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp recently announced an aggressive overhaul for the tour.

On a recent episode of The Fried Egg Golf podcast, hosts Brendan Porath, Andy Johnson, and PJ Clark dissected the implications of Rolapp’s decisions. One of the changes to take place, amongst many, will be a voluntary retirement program aimed at 5–10% of the Tour’s 1,300 employees. “I saw that he, uh, he offered early retirement to a slew of, uh, news employees,” Johnson began, capturing the confusion and skepticism swirling around the new changes. The program, as Porath explained, is based on a 70-point system —your age plus years of service must equal 70 to qualify. “52 with 18 years of service,” Johnson quickly calculated. “Yeah, I’m sure people qualify. It just doesn’t feel like a sizable chunk,” Porath added.

That led to the episode’s tongue-in-cheek moments where Porath quipped, “Tiger was on hand. He’s 49, 29 years of service. Maybe he took the retirement package, Tiger.” The mood was playful as they navigated the meaning behind early retirement offers and what it all might signal, not just for Tour staff, but for the legend. “I mean, Tiger’s not, he’s not going to play on the PGA tour. He just signed a deal with Insperity,” PJ Clark quickly added.

And we see where they were going with this. Tiger Woods signed a deal with Insperity just earlier this month, and it’s more than a typical endorsement. Insperity will serve as the presenting sponsor at several of Woods’ key events—including the Tiger Woods Invitational and Hero World Challenge. He was also announced as the chair of Rolapp’s Future Competition Committee, which will oversee the new changes. But the timing of this, the hosts agreed, is no coincidence.

“I do not think that’s a coincidence whatsoever. This is not a man who goes after sponsorships. This is not a coincidence whatsoever,” Clark added. After all, he’s nearing 50, the age at which he’d become eligible for the PGA Tour Champions, and his brand deal with Insperity might be hinting at something. Tiger Woods has been away from the PGA Tour for a while and has shown little sign of a full-time return. But with Insperity’s deep ties to senior golf and its new partnership with Woods, speculation is mounting that he’s eyeing a debut on the Champions Tour.

That being said, Brian Rolapp’s recent reforms have cast some uncertainty over what that path might look like. With internal restructuring already underway and non-player roles being reevaluated, it’s fair to wonder whether the senior circuit could be part of the broader overhaul, and what that might mean for Tiger Woods’ next chapter. If the Champions Tour is restructured, it could leave Woods in a strange position, as he may be prepared for a comeback, but without the platform that was seemingly being set for him. And amid the speculation, one of Woods’ peers is already pushing to make his Champions Tour debut a reality.

Pressure Builds for Tiger Woods’ Champions Tour Debut

As Tiger Woods nears his 50th birthday this December, calls for him to join the PGA Tour Champions are growing louder—especially from fellow major winners. Ernie Els, a four-time major champion and current senior tour regular, believes Woods would benefit greatly from competing with his peers instead of grinding through limited appearances on the PGA Tour. “It doesn’t help him to finish 70th on the regular tour, not really getting proper reps,” Els said. “He can shoot 66 (on the senior tour). Get your confidence up, make those birdie putts under the gun,” Els added, signaling a message to Woods.

For Woods, who has battled a long list of injuries and only played sparingly over the past few years, the idea of playing in a more manageable environment is starting to make more sense. His 2024 season was cut short by a ruptured left Achilles tendon, adding to a long recovery journey that began with his 2021 car crash. He last played at the 2024 Open, where he missed his third consecutive cut in the majors, making only one cut out of five events at the Masters (60th).

Els, who is 55, sees the Champions Tour not just as a softer landing spot but a potential springboard for Tiger Woods to rebuild form and confidence. “You can ride a cart without any shame. And if there was one guy that should be able to drive a cart, it’s him,” Els added. NBC analyst Paul Azinger agrees, predicting that many players on the senior circuit are already preparing to face Woods next season. “There’s a lot of anticipation,” he said. “A lot of guys are going to be in shape and ready and try to beat Tiger if they can,” Azinger added. Maybe this was another hint in itself about Woods’ future plans.