Woods hopeful of India visit as clock ticks down on Hero World Challenge 2024

Tiger Woods is hopeful of coming to India for a competitive event, something he has not been able to do in the 10 years he has been Hero’s Global Partner. The partnership looks set to continue as his association with the star-studded Hero World Challenge now stands extended by a further six years, till 2030, a statement said.

Ahead of the Hero World Challenge 2024 edition, tournament host Woods, who has not played competitive golf since July and is not in the field, said, “This is exciting news for all of us at the foundation (TGR) to be able to have Hero MotoCorp who have supported us here for the last 10 years and to have this relationship and our partnership continue until 2030 is truly amazing.

“We're able to help and serve so many more youth because of it. All the players who come down here over the years have supported this event, some of them have started their own foundations because of the impact that Pawan (Munjal) and I have had on this event and our various charities.

“We've had a great relationship and great partnership for the last 10 years, so I think it was a very natural thing for us to continue this relationship going forward through 2030 and hopefully we can make it better in the next five or so years, better than it was the first 10 and then hopefully even bigger into the future.”

Hero, the Tiger Woods Foundation and Woods came together for the event in 2014 and will now be together till at least 2030, making it one of longest relationships on the PGA Tour.

Woods, who has often chosen the Albany event as a test of his fitness and preparation ahead of the new season, admitted, “I am disappointed. I'm not physically ready yet to compete at this level. The times I have come back here, I was ready to start competing and playing again. Unfortunately, not this time. I still need to keep training to give myself the best chance going into next year and the events ahead.

“The fire still burns to compete. The difference is the recovery of the body to do it is not what it used to be. I still love doing it, I love competing, I love competing in anything whether we're playing cards or we're playing golf. No matter what it is, I love competing.”

On the issue of the PGA Tour and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, which funds the LIV series, Woods said, “I think all of us who have been a part of this process would have thought it would have happened quicker than this. Even if it did, we're still at the regulations of the DOJ (Department of Justice) saying that it will go through.

“Even if we had gotten a deal done by now, it's still in the DOJ's hands, but we wish we would have had something more concrete and further along than we are right now. But things are very fluid, we're still working through it, it's happening daily. From a policy board standpoint or from an enterprise standpoint, things are moving and they're constructive. But yes, definitely moving.”

Event sponsor Dr Pawan Munjal said he was pleased that their association with Tiger had been extended. “It was easy. We've had 10 years of an incredible journey together which has benefited both of us, the foundation, Hero's brand globally. There were no two thoughts about it.”

Also bringing a smile to his face was the presence of three players of Indian origin in the World Challenge field in the form of Sahith Theegala, Akshay Bhatia and Aaron Rai.

“If you remember, we had Anirban one time here, which was a great thing to happen. He was in the Top 30 then. To have three boys of Indian origin in a field of the best and Top 20 is a huge, huge thing for India,” Dr Munjal said.

“As you know, me and many of you have been looking for an Indian star on the golfing map to really grow the game of golf in India. I'm sure even if they're not Indians but they are of Indian origin and the whole nation is going to be very, very excited and very proud about this fact.”

Theegala is 12th in the world rankings, Indo-Briton Rai is 21st and Bhatia is 31st as the field of 20 is made up of players inside world’s top 40 and led by defending champion Scottie Scheffler, the world’s top ranked player.

The Hero World Challenge will be played from Thursday to Sunday at the Albany course, the