Tiger Woods' three-word response to playing in DP World Tour event for first ever time

Tiger Woods isn’t swinging full-speed just yet, but the 15-time major champion made headlines this week when he confirmed his long road back to the PGA Tour is officially underway. 

Cleared by doctors to chip and putt again, Woods’ competitive return is still some distance off, but the golf world is already eyeing early March — around the close of the TGL season — as a realistic target. 

From there, marquee events like the Arnold Palmer Invitational or The Players Championship loom as potential launchpads into his Masters bid at Augusta National in April.

But amid the buzz around his comeback, Woods also revealed another ambition — one far from the usual American swing. 

The 49-year-old, who turns 50 in a few weeks, admitted he still wants to cross off a tournament he’s never played: the Hero Indian Open.

Despite never teeing it up in India’s national open on the DP World Tour, Woods does have history with the country. 

His 2014 exhibition at Delhi Golf Club, hosted by Hero MotoCorp, drew big crowds and ignited hopes he might soon compete in the Indian Open. 

Plans for that to finally happen in 2020 were set — until the Covid pandemic shut the door.

Woods continues to serve as a brand ambassador for Hero MotoCorp worldwide, which makes the possibility of his Indian Open appearance all the more likely in the future. 

The former World No.1 first signed a deal with Hero at the end of 2014. . 

Hero Motorcorp is one of a number of big sponsors of Woods, including the likes of TaylorMade, Bridgestone, Rolex, 2K and Monster Energy. 

The Hero Indian Open, staged at the dramatic Gary Player-designed championship course at DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurugram, is a demanding stop on the DP World Tour. 

The tournament was established in 1964 but took on official Hero Indian Open status in 2011. 

Its current position on the calendar — two weeks before The Masters — makes it a tough sell for top players hoping to tailor their preparation for Augusta National. 

The Hero Indian Open used to be played later in the season, and there’s growing talk that a return to that slot could lure global stars such as Woods and Rory McIlroy.

McIlroy recently made his own India debut at the inaugural DP World India Championship at Delhi GC in October — an event won by Tommy Fleetwood — and his visit only intensified questions about whether the Hero Indian Open could soon shift dates to accommodate golf’s biggest stars.

That topic resurfaced during a press conference ahead of this week’s Hero World Challenge at Albany in The Bahamas. 

Woods sat alongside Hero MotoCorp CEO Dr Pawan Munjal — whose company became title sponsor of the World Challenge in 2014 — when Dr Munjal was asked about potentially reshuffling the Indian Open to entice some of the game's biggest players. 

"Well, Rory has spoken to me when he was in Delhi. You could all have spoken to IGU and to the DP World Tour and maybe done something about it," Dr Munjal told a group of reporters at the Hero World Challenge.

"Nevertheless, I know there are a lot of players who would like to come to the Hero Indian Open in March but they have other commitments. The Masters is coming up in a couple weeks, but they're not able to make it there.

"If you recollect, we used to have the Hero Indian Open later in the year, in October and November. Now that you remind me, we will do something about it, we'll discuss with all the Tour and IGU. 

"Tiger was supposed to come during the pandemic. Unfortunately, the pandemic came and then everything moved away. I'm hoping, I'm still hoping."

Woods’ response? Just three words — but enough to spark excitement: "Yeah, me too."

Given Woods’ long-standing relationship with Dr Munjal and Hero MotoCorp, the possibility of seeing Tiger compete in India feels more tangible than ever. 

If anything, it's pleasing to hear Woods contemplating an appearance given his current match fitness. 

For now, though, the golf world waits for something far more immediate: seeing Woods back inside the ropes as he approaches his 50th birthday in just three weeks’ time.