Tiger Woods believes peace has come closer amid the war that has shaken golf to its core.
The five-time Masters champion played a round with LIV queen Yasir Al-Rumayyan in the Bahamas and, after completing a record-breaking week at Augusta, announced that an end to the explosive dispute could be in sight.
Woods, seen as a key figure in finding a solution between the PGA and the Saud-backed breakout tour, was asked how the March meeting, held in his hometown, went.
“I don’t know if we’re any closer,” he said, “but we’re definitely going in the right direction.”
All six tour player executives attended the summit, which was seen as a ‘meet and greet’ to explore future Saudi investments in the PGA Tour.
Woods waves his hat to the crowd as he walks to the 18th green during Sunday in Augusta
Woods said he played a round with LIV queen Yasir Al-Rumayyan (pictured) in the Bahamas
“That was a very positive meeting,” a sweat-drenched Woods added, “and I think both sides left the meeting with a positive feeling.”
Woods avoided the cut for the 24th time at Augusta National at the age of 48 after returning from yet another surgery. However, he was never seriously in contention and finished 16 over par, leaving him at the bottom of the field as he made his way to the clubhouse.
Anyway, he described it as “a good week.” “It was a good week overall,” he added. “I think it was a good fight to come here after not playing a full tournament for a long time, on Thursday and Friday. Unfortunately, yesterday didn’t turn out exactly as I wanted.’
Playing partner Tom Kim carded a glorious 66, leaving Woods to think about what could have happened. “The way Tom plays is something I thought I had in my system,” he explained. “Unfortunately I didn’t produce it.”
Far from retirement, he now has his sights set on trying to recapture some of the form that took him to the top of the sport. “Keep lifting, keep the motor going, keep the body moving, keep getting stronger, keep progressing,” he said. ‘Hopefully the training sessions will continue to get longer.’