Tiger Woods is again subsequent week. Here is what else is coming

When, on Friday afternoon, ESPN launched a brief clip of Tiger Woods hitting into an infinite display, it was a reminder of what’s to come back in 2025. Woods might be again to play extra match golf (we predict). The TGL season will kick off, too (we’re fairly certain). The PGA Tour season will launch in Hawaii (we’re extra assured on this one). And we’ll be able to dive all the best way in.

However Woods’ look was additionally a reminder that there’s just a little toothpaste left within the {golfing} tube for 2024. Woods skipped final week’s Hero World Problem, citing his lack of readiness to play (and stroll) 72 holes towards the most effective on the planet. However this week he’ll be teeing it up on the PNC Championship in Orlando along with his son, Charlie, giving us our first have a look at Woods’ sport because the Open Championship in July.

However what else is golf squeezing in earlier than the New 12 months strikes? Listed here are 5 golf issues to look at earlier than the yr’s out, beginning with Tiger and getting progressively extra obscure from there.

1. The PNC Championship

I say this earnestly: the day earlier than the PNC Championship is a number of the greatest random non-tournament programming that professional golf has all yr. The Golf Channel staff might be pinging across the course, selecting up deilghtful bits of gold from legends and their children, every put comfortable by the presence of the opposite. Simply final yr we had Lee Trevino speaking about his each day routine and Padraig Harrington deep-diving parenting philosophy throughout the span of some minutes. Come for Tiger and Charlie, keep for the whole lot else. And that’s earlier than the match really begins!

As soon as we get began it’s loads of enjoyable, too, particularly when you’re gathered with household for the vacations — the PNC is an efficient group watch. I’m significantly excited for the addition of Fred {Couples} to this yr’s area, and with Justin and Mike Thomas out I’m guessing there’s likelihood we’ll see {Couples} in Woods’ group…

2. “The Showdown”

The Crypto dot com Showdown, I ought to say, which is coming to you on Tuesday, Dec. seventeenth at 6 p.m. ET from Shadow Creek in Las Vegas. Is that this the bad-blood battle all people’s been dreaming of? Form of. There’s loads of nice stuff about this: It’s Brooks and Bryson vs. Rory and Scottie, pitting 4 of golf’s greatest names and personalities head-to-head. It’s LIV vs. the PGA Tour, with the potential for actual rivalry to spill into an exhibition match. It’s on Tuesday evening, with no soccer to compete with. It’s three six-hole matches, mixing codecs and ending with singles. And it’s Dec. 17 — what else do you’ve got happening?!

Positive, perhaps there’s an edge taken off the entire thing, understanding that each one 4 of those professionals need golf to come back collectively, understanding that McIlroy and Koepka performed collectively in a Grove XXIII member-member match final week, understanding that there are much more good vibes than rivalry amongst this group. However there’s loads of aggressive hearth, too. If these guys have one factor frequent it’s that they desperately hate to lose. That’s a win for us.

3. The Mauritius Open

What do I learn about this golf match? Not a lot apart from the dates, Dec. 19-22, the defending champ, Louis Oosthuizen, and the truth that it calls itself “Golf’s Most Lovely Week.” Epic. For those who stay outdoors the USA or when you’re simply up at odd hours, searching for golf protection, this might be the one for you. That is the ultimate DP World Tour occasion of the yr — although, confusingly, it’s additionally one of many first of the season, bringing a near the worldwide circuit’s opening swing by means of southern Africa after final week’s Nedbank Golf Problem and this weekend’s Alfred Dunhill Championship. What’s going to occur at Mont Choisy Le Golf? Get up early, tune in and discover out.

4. ‘Warming Up’ returns

It is a doubtlessly problematic inclusion as a result of that is my YouTube sequence, however right here we’re. Our first season of Warming Up produced a few of my favourite conversations of my skilled life — I acquired to conduct driving-range interviews with a handful of mega-talents, going deep on course of and mindset with everybody from Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau to Fred {Couples}, Shane Lowry and Viktor Hovland. Who’s subsequent? I’ll simply give the trace that he gained a serious championship lately. At the very least one. You possibly can subscribe right here so that you don’t miss it…

One favourite from final season, simply to pattern:

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5. Two fascinating docuseries

I don’t know in the event that they’re fascinating due to the precise content material or simply as a result of I feel it’s fascinating that they exist, interval. Possibly they’re actually solely fascinating to me. However there are two team-golf docs I’m partway by means of and whereas I’m not prepared to offer a full-on endorsement I’m not less than intrigued what you’ll consider ’em. On YouTube there’s a docuseries following LIV’s Majesticks, the staff co-captained by Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Henrik Stenson, as they wrestle their manner by means of the 2024 LIV season from the underside of the desk. And coming subsequent week there’s unCommon, the docuseries following the development of the TGL’s Boston franchise, which ought to function numerous setbacks — the collapse of the dome, the defection of staff member Tyrrell Hatton, and many others. — and an intriguing countdown to league launch. Do I want each docs had been finished independently, with no editorial oversight from the individuals concerned? For certain, 1000 p.c sure. That would have probed some existential questions on what we’re all doing right here. However we’ll take what we’ve acquired. It’s mid-December, in spite of everything.