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What do we expect from Tiger Woods on the golf course in 2025?

Published

1 year ago

Feb 17, 2025

In the latest episode of Not Another Golf Show, Ben and Gianni discussed the year ahead for Tiger Woods following his Genesis Invitational WD, beginning with possible Masters tune-up destinations.

Last year, Woods participated in five official events but made the cut only at the Masters, where he finished 60th. The 15-time major champion missed the cut at the PGA Championship and The Open Championship. The tournament host was not in playing shape for his Hero World Challenge in early December, although he and son Charlie did finish second at the PNC Championship (in which, of course, he was able to ride in a golf cart as needed). Woods has participated in a pair of TGL matches.

GolfWRX · Not Another Golf Show: Tiger’s 2025? LPGA’s slow play winner? + Super Bowl revelry

Check out a portion of the NAGS hosts’ conversation below.

Ben Alberstadt (13:07): You feel if Tiger is going to play the Masters, which of course he wants to…he’s going to want to get at least one tournament in here. But I’m looking at the calendar and I mean, obviously the tour wants him to play The Players. I’m sure he wants to play…from that standpoint, but I it’s not a course he’s ever really played super well. If he plays anything before the Masters, I’m thinking maybe the Arnold Palmer? I don’t know. Have you had a look at the schedule and given that any thought?

Gianni (14:11): Yeah, I’ve had a look and those are…the two tournaments I can see. I don’t know if he’s gonna play both. I definitely think he’ll play one. But I can’t see him playing any of the [other] tournaments.

Ben Alberstadt (14:20): I was going to say that too. I don’t think there’s any way he goes back to back at those. So I mean, my gut says Arnold Palmer…His history there is singular, but you know, even with the kind of not expecting him to win standpoint, I think it’s a lot easier…I think if he does play that’s where it’s going to be.

Gianni (14:53): Yeah, it depends on the conditions at The Players, that’s a course where any sort of risk can get exposed quickly.

Ben Alberstadt (15:02): Yeah, he’s had some really poor showings there historically when he’s been either out of form or injured. I don’t think he’d be keen to do that and kind of invite the additional fanfare of the fifth major, you know, that type of atmosphere. I think that on all fronts the Arnold Palmer would make more sense.

Gianni (15:29): So without seeing him teed up outside of the TGL, are you buying or selling Tiger this year?

Ben Alberstadt (15:35): I mean, it’s tough to say I think you have to be a real diehard and super optimist to say it’s a wholesale buy. But I would also say that some things kind of go out the window and I don’t know how you could ever be totally selling if again, and the question is the same as it’s been for years the question I mean, and, you know, there were periods of this prior to these periods of resurgence, like is the body, is he good enough, feeling well enough, mobile enough going into a tournament to practice so he can come in sharp or close to it? And can he get four days of his body feeling good and reacting, responding how he wants it to? I don’t know…

We didn’t really know this last year. I don’t think as much as we maybe would have liked to have a clearer picture, but it seems like the back issues were the disk issue type of was more of a problem and was hampering him more than we were aware. You know…all the focus is on the leg, right? Again, not a doctor, certainly, but when you’re having that type of a disc issue and the nerve pain and shooting pain and arms and legs and maybe some weakness on one side, anything that can go into that is really, really hampering your preparation. I’m sure you’re having any level of comfort on the course, which one would think is a prerequisite to getting into any kind of a groove when playing…you feel like the body after the back surgery should probably be better than last year. But then on the other side of the ledger, he’s another year older. So I don’t know. think that having all the information we have, which again, it’s tough to feel that you ever have all of it. I’m more confident this year than I was last year. And if you get the circumstances where he’s prepared going into a tournament and gets four days of feeling good, functioning well, then I certainly think you have to say that he can still hit the shots. But does that lead to a top 10 finish, maybe even a win? I think it’s possible, but again, you just don’t know about those elements. What do you think?

Gianni (18:29): You think he can win a major? This year?

Ben Alberstadt (18:32): I’m not going to reprise my famed prediction that he’s going to win the Masters or anything of that nature. I don’t know. I think he could win a non-major. I don’t know. You really put me on the spot with this. I think it’s possible that, again, here’s what I’ll say. You get a situation where he’s getting some reps. You run the clock back to the Masters win and kind of look at his play leading up to it. It’s like, there were signs. He was at least playing playing well, know, decent finishes. I don’t think we’ve ever kind of seen him historically play, come out and win a major after either not playing or playing like crap. So I would say, I would say, let’s see if he can get a start in before the Masters and what that looks like. And then we can revisit that question. How about that for some evasion?

Gianni (19:38): Yeah, top evasion because like that was six years ago when he won his major, by the way, his last major. It’s what? I know eight months since he’s played? And a reminder of his major results last year: 60th at the Masters, which was dead last, missed cut, missed cut, missed cut. It can’t get much worse, but he’s not he’s not winning. He’s not even going to compete for a major.

Listen to the full episode below!

GolfWRX · Not Another Golf Show: Tiger’s 2025? LPGA’s slow play winner? + Super Bowl revelry

News

5 Things we Learned: Thursday at the U.S.. Women’s Open

Published

11 hours ago

Jun 5, 2026

Ronald Montesano

Gone are the days when the U.S. Women’s Open was held at Scenic Hills or Churchill Valley. Fine courses that they are (or were, as Churchill Valley went bankrupt a decade ago) there is something to be said for the venue. Not all Women’s Open playings need to take place on Men’s Open venues, but some should. This week in Los Angeles, the Women’s Open visits Riviera Country Club for the first time. Down the road, we will visit Inverness, Oakmont, Interlachen, Oak Hill, Chicago Golf, and Merion. That is quite the murderer’s row (1927 Yankees reference) of golf clubs.

What can we expect from the 2026 tournament? Greatness and uncertainty. Unlike the PGA Tour, which visits Riviera each February, the LPGA does not, so the women will not have nearly the body of work over the George C. Thomas layout. Maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe they’ll play #10 smarter than the men do. Maybe they’ll figure some things out that their male counterparts can not. For today, we’ll try to find five things to learn, and share them with you.

First, this ain’t your momma’s U.S. Open course

How do we know? Well, so far, only one previous champion currently sits inside the top thirty. That would be Minjee Lee, the 2022 winner at Southern (NC) Pines. Lee made par on her first nine holes, the inward side at Riviera. She dropped birdie putts on the first and ninth holes (ten and eighteen for her day) and tallied another seven pars, for 69. She sits three shots off Jennifer Kupcho’s opening 66. Don’t worry about Kupcho; we’ll get to her. After Lee, defending champion Maja Stark ranks T30 at even par, joined by three other, former winners.

What Minjee did, is the sort of thing that wins U.S. Open titles. She guided her ship safely past swells, and made a move when the waters calmed. The fewer the bogeys, the more likely Minjee figures in the outcome on Sunday evening in Pacific Palisades. Off the tee, Lee was unmatched. She hit 14 of 14 fairways. Her iron play was a bit loose in comparison. She putted for birdie on 12 of 18 holes, which meant that her recovery short game was on point. Lee was ten yards longer on measured driving holes than the field average, and was below the field average (a good thing) in putting.

Second, the amateurs beat a loud drum

Three of the world’s top amateur golfer posted 70, placing them four off the lead, in a tie for 14th place. Canada’s Aphrodite Deng, Spain’s Paula Francisco Llaño, and Colombia’s Maria José Marin, showed the professional world that their game is strong. Both Deng and Francisco Llaño collected five birdies on the day. Should they match that output on day two, and minimize the foozles, they’ll be the topic of conversation on Saturday morning. Marin, the 2026 Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion and an NCAA team semifinalist last week, played a game similar to Minjee Lee: few mistakes and few taken risks.

The last amateur to post the low medal score for 72 holes was Jenny Chuasiriporn in 1998. She lost a playoff to Se Ri Pak, who matched her plus-six effort at Blackwolf Run. The last amateur to win the U.S. Women’s Open was Catherine Lacoste in 1967. The amateurs are stronger than they’ve ever been, but the professionals have not allowed them to close the gap. A victory by one of the college set would be a cannon shot heard round the world. Could it happen? Absolutely. Is it likely? Not at all.

Third, let’s talk Kupcho

Jennifer Kupcho won the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur. She won three times on tour in 2022, including the Chevron, a major title. She won a fourth event in 2025, but has not established the winning credentials projected on her after 2022’s marvelous coming-out.

Kupcho hails from Colorado, and spent four years in the Carolina Piedmont, at Wake Forest Universtiy. Neither of those locales cries out I’ll be at home at Riviera, but here we are, after a seven-birdie performance. Kupcho posted birdie on each of her first three holes, and added four more (against two bogeys) to assume a one-shot advantage over Korea’s Sei Young Kim.

Kupcho drove the ball decently, approached moderately well, but putted lights out on Thursday. Her 26 putts were tied for best in show on day one. There might just be something about the putting surfaces at Riviera that aligns with Kupcho’s vibe. If that is the case, just get the ball on the green, anywhere, and let the flatstick do the lifting.

Fourth, how young is Sei Young?

Sei (pronounced “So”) Young Kim won a dozen times from 2015 to 2020. She took time off from winning until 2025, shen she captured a thirteenth LPGA title. Like Kupcho, Kim has hardware from one major event, the 2020 Women’s PGA Championship. How to explain the five years away from victory? No idea. When Sei Young was in contention during the prime of her career, the outcome was a foregone conclusion.

What to expect over the next three days at Riviera? Anyone’s guess. It might be the 2015-2020 Sei Young, or it could be the 2021-2025 version. Kim began her day with birdies at 10 and 11, then settled into a stretch of pars before her solitary bogey at the 4th (her 13th) hole. Kim regained her composure and reeled in three birdies to close the front nine. Her four-under performance trails Kupcho alone, and there is a real chance that Sei Young will produce a second score in the 60s and take a bit of control of the tournament.

Fifth, we’re giddy for Gaby

Although I cannot place my finger on why, it seems that each year, Gaby Lopez pops up on the U.S. Open leaderboard. She hasn’t figure out how to remain in contention, but here we are, in 2026, and Lopez is once again in the mix. The three-time champion on the LPGA circuit had a stunning first nine holes, turning in minus-five. She reached six deep at her tenth hole, but then gave three shots back coming home. Which Gaby will show up on Friday, and for how long? If back-nine Gaby can somehow channel front-nine Gaby, all outcomes are within reach. If the loose play continues, Lopez’ wiki page will add one more T41 to her majors column.

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open

Published

2 days ago

Jun 3, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

GolfWRX Tour Photographer made the trip from the Memorial Tournament across the country to the U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera. Check out links to all the photos below!

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament

Published

4 days ago

Jun 1, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

GolfWRX is on site this week at the Memorial Tournament, with both Alistair Cameron and Tour Photographer Greg Moore on the ground in Dublin, Ohio, where a strong field is assembled to pay homage to the Golden Bear.

In addition to WITB galleries, we’ve already been treated to an in-hand look at Tommy Fleetwood’s new TaylorMade Spider putters.

Check out links to all our photos below.

General Albums

WITB Albums