Major champion drops hint about Tiger Woods' future: "I'll keep knocking on his door"

Multiple major champion Ernie Els says he'll keep knocking on Tiger Woods' door to encourage the golf legend to play on the over 50s circuit. 

Woods was set to make his latest comeback to the sport at the 2026 Masters after being side-lined for several months following the seventh back surgery of his career in September.

But the 15-time major champion, who has not played in a competitive event since the 2024 Open at Royal Troon, was arrested in late March on charges of driving under the influence following a car crash near his Florida home in Jupiter. 

Woods, who has denied the charges, has kept a low-profile ever since and sought treatment in Switzerland. 

His 90-day rehab stint also saw him ruled out of all of the men's majors in 2026 and it remains to be seen if and when he will tee up again. 

It's likely that Woods will simply make another appearance at the annual parent/child PGA Tour event in December alongside his teenage son, Charlie, and may tee up at the Hero World Challenge in the same month. 

"He's always welcome [on the PGA Tour Champions]," said Els. "We had the discussion about the Champions Tour, and he asked me about it, and he started warming to it.

"He's a busy guy; he's got a lot of responsibility. He's always been very busy, shifting around the last four or five years, a lot of stuff behind the scenes."

Els was referring to the fact Woods, among several other commitments, is a member of the PGA Tour's policy board. 

He is also the chairman of the PGA Tour's future competitions committee [FCC]. 

The FCC was asked to redesign the Tour's competitive model. 

Before the Travelers Championship, PGA Tour commissioner and chief executive, Brian Rolapp, outlined that promotion and relegation will be key from 2028. 

Rolapp said the leading golfers will compete on the Championship Series. 

The level below, a "Challenger Series" will run concurrently. 

Woods was among those who formally approved the changes. 

He made his first public appearance since taking a leave of absence in Connecticut, but he declined to answer questions about his legal troubles.

"I'll keep knocking on his door," added Els. 

What is the latest with Tiger Woods' court case?

Woods was arrested in March after a rollover crash near his Jupiter Island home. 

He later pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from the incident, which include driving under the influence, refusal to submit to a lawful test and property damage. 

The latest development saw a judge approve a request for Woods' prescription medication records, although a protective order was put in place to prevent the details from becoming public. 

The records cover prescriptions filled during the period leading up to the crash and are expected to be reviewed as part of the state's investigation.

Woods' legal team had previously challenged efforts to obtain the records, arguing that his medical information should remain private. 

Prosecutors have argued the documents are relevant to determining whether medication played a role in the incident.