Gary Player called on Tiger Woods to return to South Africa (Image: Photo by Oisin Keniry/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)
“The Nedbank Golf Challenge holds special significance for Gary Player, a nine-time major champion, who expresses a desire to witness the return of another legend, Tiger Woods, to Africa’s premier golf event.”
Gary Player has called on Tiger Woods to return to South Africa and compete in the Nedbank Golf Challenge, known in the sport as ‘Africa’s major’.
The event is one close to the heart of Player, and it is competed at a Sun City Country Club named after the nine-time major champion. The 88-year-old competed in the inaugural edition of the the DP World Tour event back in 1981, where just five players competed in the field.
Amid his long-standing connections to the South African-based tournament, the DP World Tour announced earlier this year that the Needbank Golf Challenge will be officially held in Player’s honour from 2024.
The 2023 edition is currently being played out in Sun City, and during Thursday’s opening round Player took a seat in the Sky Sports commentary box to have his say on the action. During his commentary stint, the South African turned the discussion towards arguably golf’s greatest player, Woods.
“We’ve got to get Tiger Woods back here somehow,” Player said during the coverage. “[His presence] would enhance this tournament to another level. We got to honour his son who’s a tremendous young golfer named after Charlie Sifford.”
Tiger Woods has not featured at the event since 1998, under its former name Nedbank Million Dollar Golf Tournament. Playing in his prime, the American almost marked his one-and-only appearance with victory, but was defeated in a dramatic five-hole play-off by Zimbabwe’s Nick Price.
The 15-time major champion’s future has been up in the air over the past two years, after a string of injury issues that stemmed from a car accident in Los Angeles in February 2021. His latest setback came at this year’s Masters Tournament in April, where he was forced to withdraw in the third round due to ankle issue.
Woods underwent surgery on the injury picked up at Augusta in the days following, and has since been recovering. In recent weeks, the 15-time major winner has been pictured back out on the golf course on a number of occasions, prompting speculation that a return to the PGA Tour could be around the corner.
Amid the rumours, Woods broke his silence earlier this week, announcing he had recovered from his ankle injury but problems within his right leg still remain. “My ankle is fine,” he admitted. “Where they fused my ankle, I have absolutely zero issue whatsoever.
“That pain is completely gone. It’s the other areas that have been compensated for. But all the surrounding areas are where I had all my problems and still do. You fix one, others have to become more hypermobile to get around it, and it can lead to some issues.”
During his time away from competition, Woods has been preparing for the launch of TGL, an innovative golf league setup by the American and Rory McIlroy. The stadium-based circuit will kick off in just under two months, and after announcing he would be a part of the Jupiter Links team, Woods confirmed he would be competing – albeit on a simulator – in January.
“Through its use of technology, TGL is a modern twist of traditional golf and ultimately will make the sport I love more accessible,” the 47-year-old said. “Having the opportunity to not only compete, but also own a team to represent Jupiter is an exciting next chapter for me. I expect Jupiter Links GC to showcase the golf culture of my hometown as we compete against the best players in the world.”
