The Players Championship hope to have two-time champion Tiger Woods in the field for the upcoming tournament at TPC Sawgrass.
Woods, who won the PGA Tour’s flagship event in 2001 and 2013, is yet to get his season up and running following the sad news of his mother, Kultida, passing away.
The 15-time major winner was set to play at the recent Genesis Invitational but withdrew to focus on processing her loss.
Woods did make a TV appearance at Torrey Pines during Sunday’s final round and said he is ‘looking forward to playing some bigger events’ soon while he has also been competing in TGL recently.
But his first appearance back in competitive golf could come at the 2025 Players Championship which starts on March 13.
Lee Smith, Executive Director of The Players, is hopeful of seeing Woods tee it up at Sawgrass in what would be ‘an amazing moment’ for the sport.
Speaking exclusively to talkSPORT.com, Smith said: “As a two-time Players Champion, we would love to have Tiger back in the field at TPC Sawgrass this year.
“His presence at any event elevates the global awareness of even the most premier championship, and to see him walk these fairways again would be incredible for our fans, partners and even his fellow players.
“As we’ve seen with TGL, just getting some glimpses into his greatness and shot-making ability for a brief moment here and there brings the internet to a halt, so to have that experience for a week at The Players would be an amazing moment for our game.”
Woods has not featured at The Players since 2019 but is no stranger to TPC Sawgrass’ Stadium Course having claimed victory twice around the famous Florida track.
He held off Vijay Singh to win in 2001 and then produced another masterful display in 2013 to clinch victory on his 300th career PGA Tour start.
Current world number one Scottie Scheffler has claimed back-to-back Players titles over the last two seasons to join the illustrious lists of multi-time champions at Sawgrass alongside the likes of Woods, Fred Couples and Jack Nicklaus.
Other former champions include Rory McIlroy, Sergio Garcia and Phil Mickelson with the showpiece tournament often seeing the best of the best come out on top.
Smith told talkSPORT.com: “This is an event our players take extreme pride in, and build their schedules around in order to make sure they are prepped and ready to go.
“There is a lot of course knowledge with The Players Stadium Course, which makes it tough for someone to win their first time around, or even contend in a few short years.
“Every tee shot, every approach shot, requires the utmost respect and thought, and that is something world-class players own in spades.
Upcoming golf tournaments
March 2
- PGA Tour – Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches
- DP World Tour – Investec South African Open Championship, Durban CC
March 9
- PGA Tour – Arnold Palmer Invitational, Bay Hill Club & Lodge (Signature Event)
- PGA Tour – Puerto Rico Open, Grand Reserve Golf Club
- DP World Tour – Joburg Open, Houghton GC, Johannesburg
- LIV Golf – Hong Kong, Hong Kong Golf Club at Fanling
March 16
- PGA Tour – The Players Championship, TPC Sawgrass (Flagship Event)
- LIV Golf – Singapore, Sentosa Golf Club
March 23
- PGA Tour – Valspar Championship, Innisbrook Resort
- DP World Tour – Porsche Singapore Classic, Laguna National Golf Resort Club
March 30
“There have been a number of players over the last 10-15 years who have threatened to win on Sunday, but it’s always the cream who rises to the top, which speaks volumes to the stature of this event in the golf world.”
As for Woods, he’s eager to make up for more lost time and get back on the course soon.
He hasn’t played competitively since The Open Championship at Royal Troon last July in which he missed the cut by eight strokes.
The 49-year-old played in every major last summer and will hope to do so again, with The Masters coming up on April 10.
At the Genesis, Woods said: “My goal was to play more and I haven’t played.
“Got to work on that. This process was unexpected. I’ll get back after it and look forward to playing some bigger events.”
The 2025 Players Championship will be held from March 13 to March 16 and the action from TPC Sawgrass will be live on talkSPORT 2 throughout the week.
talkSPORT BET Golf Offer
Bet £10 Get £15 In Free Bets
T&Cs: 18+ New customers only. Opt in & bet £10+ on Golf at odds 2.00+, in 7 days. No cash out. Get 3x £5 Free Bets on selected markets. Bonuses expire in 7 days. Card/ Apple Pay payments only. T&Cs apply, see below. BeGambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly