The 2024 US Open is here, and the goat is competing in it! Tiger Woods was given a special exemption by the USGA, which allowed him to compete in the 124th edition of the third major. Golf enthusiasts got glimpses of the dynamic duo of Tiger Woods and his son, Charlie Woods, as they prepared together at Pinehurst No. 2 before the tournament officially started. Woods Jr. is instrumental in his father’s practice, but he is not carrying his bag this major. It’s Lance Bennett who is caddying for the 15x major champion.

Lance Bennett first assumed the role of Woods’s caddie at the 2024 Genesis Invitational. Recently, a video of them scouting the greens was shared by NUCLR Golf on their X handle. It showed Bennet was taking notes on Woods’s shots at Pinehurst No. 2. “We’ve had the same type of feeling in how we look at the golf course and how we read putts; they’re very similar. I think it’s great—we’re going to be a great team and really looking forward to the challenge,” Woods said of Bennett.

Bennett works full-time for Belgian golfer Adrien Dumont de Chassart. He is well known for his partnerships with notable golfers like Matt Kuchar, as he caddied for him during Kuchar’s win at the 2012 PLAYERS Championship. Bennett brings a wealth of experience to the table. Moreover, he has also worked with Sungjae Im and 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge winner Davis Riley. The looper has also spent time on the LPGA Tour with Juli Inkster, Paula Creamer, and Lorena Ochoa.

Tiger Woods and his son Charlie practicing together emphasizes the deep connection they share. They have been working on various aspects of the game, from bump-and-run shots to intricate putting drills. “I just want to see the balls rolling. Charlie reminds me every now and again, which is great. We have a great relationship and rapport like that, and it’s a wonderful experience for both of us,” Woods shared, highlighting the special bond they have built through golf.

At the PNC Championship in December 2023, the 48-year-old brought his daughter, Samantha Woods, to be his caddie. So why was the 15-year-old not given a chance to caddie for Woods?

Despite Charlie’s impressive credentials, including a +3 handicap and victories on the junior circuit, caddying for his father at a challenging course like Pinehurst is less than ideal. Tiger Woods’s return to major competition after a month will require the expertise and experience that Woods Jr. cannot provide at such a young age, particularly in reading greens and strategizing on tough courses.

While Charlie isn’t carrying the bag, he is playing another crucial role as an unofficial coach for his father. Woods emphasized this during the Masters saying, “I trust him with my swing and my game. He’s seen it more than anybody else in the world. He’s seen me hit more golf balls than anyone.”

Woods praised that his son’s involvement is not just sentimental; he brings fresh insights and reminders that help him focus. “He gave me a couple little side bits today, which was great, because I get so entrenched in hitting certain putts to certain pins, I tend to forget some of the things I’m working on,” said Woods at the pre-tournament presser at Pinehurst No. 2.

As Tiger Woods eyes the 16th major, he is supported by a team that includes both seasoned professionals and his talented son. Will he defy the odds and become a 16x major champion? It remains to be seen!

Earl Woods has been a central character in the Tiger Woods lore. But the 15-time major champion believes his mother, Kultida, doesn’t get the recognition she deserves. While receiving the Bob Jones Award, the United States Golf Association’s most prestigious accolade, at Pinehurst, the three-time U.S. Open winner revealed that during eight of nine consecutive USGA titles, his mother wasn’t present. However, at the 1996 US Amateur’s Open, Kultida was at the Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club.

Woods already created history by netting three consecutive U.S. Junior Amateur’s Open. And, at Pumpkin Ridge, then 20-year-old was standing at the cusp of a historic six-peat. “There she was in a Stanford sweatshirt; imagine if I had lost? But who did I hug first after I won, right, Mommy? It was you,” the 15-time major champion said.

For all the influence Kultida had on Woods, what gets overlooked is the killer instinct and ruthless mentality Woods had. Woods once jokingly said, “He [Earl Woods] never had to spank me growing up as a kid. Because Mom beat the hell out of my ass. I’ve still got the handprints.”

Humor aside, Kultida was as invested in the young golf prodigy as was her husband. From outside the ropes, from outside the media spotlight. In 2010, after Woods’s personal troubles took center stage, Kultida told Doug Ferguson of AP, “Some of media, especially tabloid, hurt my son bad. He didn’t do anything illegal. He didn’t kill anybody. But he try to improve himself.”

The 82-time PGA Tour winner said from Pinehurst, “My mom doesn’t get enough credit. It was Dad and I on the road, but my mom has been there my entire life, has always been there through thick and thin.” After honoring the previous recipient the 48-year-old added, “She [Kultida Woods] allowed me to get here, to do these things, to chase my dreams, with support and love. I didn’t do this alone, I had the greatest rock that any child could possibly have. Thank you, Mommy.”

It was reminiscent of Woods’s Hall of Fame speech, where the veteran golfer revealed that his parents had to take a second mortgage to fund his dream of becoming an ace golfer. Woods said, nothing would’ve been possible “Without the sacrifices of mom, who took me to all the tournaments. And dad, who’s not here, but who instilled in me this work ethic to fight for what I believe in, chase after my dreams.

While she supported her son’s pursuit of greatness, Kultida Woods also had some curious contributions to the Woods lore. The famous Nike red polos that landed Woods 15 majors including all three U.S. Open titles, was her mother’s idea. Woods, who now is associated with a clothing line with the same name, revealed how he had a disagreement with his mother about the ‘power color’ but later fell in line.

Tiger Woods revealed the Kultida connection to Sun Day Red

Make no mistake, like you and me and everyone else in their teenage years, Tiger Woods was also a rebellious kid. So, when his mothers suggested he should wear red – because Woods was Capricorn, and red was his power color – the teenager swatted aside the suggestion as nonsense.

Tiger Woods said on NBC’s Today Show last month, “It’s a nice little tie to mom. In some of the junior golf events in So Cal, I would wear red, and I won. Then, in spite, I wore blue at other tournaments – I didn’t win. So I then switched to red, and I had a lot more success wearing red.”

In his first U.S. Open appearance since missing the cut in 2020 at Winged Foot, Tiger Woods believes he has the strength and ability to do it. Not making the cut, but winning his 16th major. Another trait Woods learned from his mother. The nine-time USGA champion will tee off at 7.29 AM ET on Thursday with Matt Fitzpatrick and Will Zalatoris.

Tiger Woods’s resolve to add a sixteenth stripe to his Sunday Red Logo continues to indulge him. The 15-time major winner has been practicing relentlessly at Pinehurst all week. However, a day prior to the start of the U.S. Open, it seems that Woods’s name will not remain on the tee schedule.

Now, questions are rising about the crux of Tiger Woods‘s absence at the most understated yet popularly loved event’s practice session. It has led to hushed speculations about whether Woods is planning to WD from the upcoming major, possibly due to another injury-related mishap. To the majority’s relief, however, this halt is not rooted in an alarming injury-induced withdrawal but finds its source in more lucrative measures to boost the star pro golfer’s performance.

Surprisingly enough, this news of relief comes from Woods’s son, Charlie Woods himself. Junior Woods has been assisting his dad throughout his practice rounds on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Charlie told Mike Tirico last night that his father “is dialed in around the greens and just needs to keep it in play off the tee,” in order to showcase his best skills during the course of the third major of the season.

In hopes of surpassing his Master’s history earlier this year and overcoming the darkness cast by his performance at the PGA Championship, Mr. T seems to be making some smart decisions to rejuvenate his body before the start of the stressful major week. But what has been the center of Woods’s preparation strategy before the big day this season?

The 82-time PGA Tour winner’s resolve to better himself has led him to resort to some unconventional strategies in the last few months. From taking a vow during the Masters week, to spending hours in the gym, Woods seems to be in the mood to do all it takes. Talking about his preparation strategy during the PGA Championship at Valhalla, Woods told reporters, “Just keep lifting, keep the molds going, keep the body moving, keep getting stronger, keep progressing, and hopefully the practice sessions will keep getting longer.”

While rest has remained a part of Woods’s masterplan to success, the U.S. Open seems to be the very first time he is making it a point to take a full-fledged day off the tee. It remains to be seen if this newfound approach will prove fruitful for Tiger Woods’s agenda to make a stronger than-before comeback, or if the nightmare of his last few performances and subsequent inability to make cuts result in another sad story and further delay to his plans of obtaining a sixteenth major title.

One of the most prestigious majors in the golf industry, the US Open has achieved many milestone moments since its debut in 1895. However, along with achievements, this tournament also had to deal with several controversial instances that came along the way.

With this year’s tournament just around the corner, here is a list of five of the most notorious controversies that are intertwined with the US Open.

5. Overnight plantation of Hinkle Tree

The winner of the Bing Crosby tournament and the World Series of Golf in 1979, Lon Hinkle, has become part of a historical landmark today. In the 1979 US Open, Hinkle discovered the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio. He found a shortcut from the left of the 8th tee to a launch directly into the 17th fairway, which in turn shortened the par-5 hole.

According to Golf Week, “Hinkle and his caddie decided on a 220-yard shot through a hole in the sparse collection of trees. He hit a 2-iron and found the 17th fairway. Then he hit another 2-iron to the green and two-putted for a birdie. He finished the round with a 70.”

To avoid such a shot, the USGA planted a 15-foot-high Norway spruce at night between the first and second rounds. Since then, the tree has become a historical landmark and now goes by the name, Hinkle Tree.

4. USGA’s tremendous transformation of the winged foot in 1974

Johny Miller had scored the lowest record of all time, that is 63, to win a major tournament back in 1973. His margin of victory was two strokes against Forrest Fezler at the Winged Foot West Course in Mamaroneck, New York. However, Miller’s achievement at the winged foot was taken with a grain of salt by the USGA.

In the 1970s, the Winged Foot was considered one of the most difficult golf courses to score on. The USGA therefore felt insulted to see as remarkable a performance by Miller that year. To tackle the situation, the USGA decided to implement a much harsher golf course in 1974.

Golf Digest described the tremendous elevation of difficulty as something that did not wish to enable any player to score under par. They started the transformation as “fast greens to narrow fairways to obscenely high rough, not only abounded, but were ratcheted up to painful degrees.”

3. 2004 Shinnecock Hills’s dried golf course

In 2004, Shinnecock Hills GC was rapidly drying out from the immense heat and wind. But to maintain the difficulty, many people believed that the USGA pulled up some unfair tactics. It was recorded that the golf course was not watered before the third round on Saturday, making the third round extremely difficult to play. The trend was maintained, and the final round began without a watered golf course yet again.

No player was able to break par in the final round, and the average score for the day was 79, nine over par. Ernie Els who was playing in the final group, shot an 80. It was further reported that The green was double-cut and rolled on Friday evening and was reportedly rolled the next morning. It got worse as the weekend went on.

This move by the USGA, where the course was deliberately not made playable, made the tournament quite infamous for its toughness over the years. 2004, certainly gets a higher rank at that.

2. Tiger Woods’s win against the infamous warning sign at Bethpage State Park

The placard behind the first tee at Bethpage State Park was hung with a warning sign in 2002. It read, “The Black Course Is An Extremely Difficult Course Which We Recommend Only For Highly Skilled Golfers.” Indeed, throughout the event, it was only Tiger Woods who scored under par and ultimately won the event with a 3-stroke margin of victory against Phil Mickelson.

Bethpage State Park featured a 260-yard carry to the fairway. As difficult as it was already, the strong headwind made the situation much worse for the players. On top of that, an additional difficulty arose with soft ground conditions, especially noticed on the par 4-10th hole in 2002.

1. Dustin Johnson’s uncertain penalty in the final round

Dustin Johnson had won the 2016 US Open, his first major maiden glory. However, the win did not come easy at Oakmont. On the 5th in the final round, Johnson’s golf ball moved without him addressing it directly. This instance initially put Johnson in doubt about whether he had maintained the rule correctly or not. The USGA back then did not mention anything about a penalty.

However, at his 12th tee, Johnson was informed by the USGA that his move at the 5th tee would be reviewed and the decision about his penalty would be announced at the end of the final round. When the round was completed, Johnson was penalized a stroke and signed for a one-under-par 69 to win by three shots.

“I feel like I’ve been playing some good golf,” said a satisfied Scottie Scheffler after clinching his fifth win of the season in the 2024 PGA Tour calendar. No one can refute him, especially after looking at him dishing out the best-ever performance of his career and still going strong more than halfway into the year’s schedule. And as he strives forward, the golf world naturally compares him to one of the greatest to ever play in the sport – Tiger Woods.

At 48 years old, Woods himself boasts 82 PGA Tour wins, including the 15 victories he secured through major championships. Although Scheffler only has 11 triumphs in the men’s circuit, alongside 2 major wins, he has proven himself more than capable of emerging victorious in the league with his scintillating gameplay. One can’t help but wonder if he would actually be able to match Woods’s legacy, especially after his recent feat!

The Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) was established on April 6th, 1986, following the need for a worldwide system to replace the US PGA TOUR Money List, which initially decided the best players in the world. Fast forward to 1996, the points counted towards the whole arrangement were altered from a 3-year rolling system to a 2-year rolling system. Since then, only two golfers have managed to average more than 16 points: Woods and Scheffler.

The current No. 1 golfer had a points average of 15.2952 on the world rankings after his T2 finish at the Charles Schwab Challenge. But his triumph at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday has pushed him to a total of 754.78093 points while averaging a whopping 16.4083 after just 13 starts in 2024. This comes after he clinched the No. 1 spot for a total of 90 weeks, with 56 out of them being consecutive ones.

The 15-time major champ, on the other hand, had achieved the feat many times in his career which saw him topping the OWGR for a total of 683 weeks and consecutively for 281 weeks. He averaged 19.98 in 1999, 29.40 in 2000, 17.16 in 2005, 20.41 in 2006, and 19.61 in 2007. Nosferatu, consequently, dubbed the legend as a non-human while calling Scheffler the “only human No. 1 to reach 16 points since the OWGR switched to a 2-year rolling period.”

The 1997 Masters champ sure did overshadow the 2024 Masters winner when it came to the stats. Besides, it’s not as if that was the only number in which Scottie Scheffler had found himself close to rivaling the Hall of Famer.

Scheffler rakes in win after win on the men’s circuit

The golfer managed to dominate over the likes of the other PGA Tour players including Woods this season by finishing a total of 12 times in the top-10. He did so from a total of 13 starts while raking in 5 wins, two T2 placements, and a third-place finish. That’s not all. His tally of five victories has helped him join Woods, Jason Day, Jordan Spieth, and Justin Thomas, all of whom (except Woods) have a personal best of five wins in a single season.

He is, thus, closely inching towards the likes of Nick Price (6 wins in 1994), Tom Watson (7 in 1980), Tiger Woods (6 in 2005 and 2009, 7 in 2007, 8 in 1999 and 2006, and 9 in 2000), and Vijay Singh (9 in 2004), all of whom were in a league of their own back then. It sure does feel as if the 2-time major champ has set his eyes on breaking the legend’s stats once again.

Is a top-10 contest in the making between Woods and Scheffler?

Woods has played 375 PGA Tour events throughout his 28-year-long career. And out of the starts he made at the same, the pro has garnered a total of 199 top-10 placements, not to mention 163 of them being him finishing the tournament inside the top-5 with 82 wins.

On the contrary, Scheffler has played in a total of 124 tournaments on the men’s circuit, placing himself inside the top 10 55 times. Out of these 55 placements, he has finished in the top 5 a total of 41 times, earning a whopping $66,589,782 in prize money. In contrast, Mr. T tops the career money list by a huge margin, at a figure of $120,999,166. Although the current No. 1 is far behind the legend, he has managed to catch up halfway with just one-third of Woods’s starts. This seems to hint at the golfer closing in on the 15-time major champ.

The two are, thus, miles apart when it comes to stats. However, Scottie Scheffler appears to be slowly closing in on the Hall of Famer and his figures. But he would need to work hard and strive even harder to equal the 82-time PGA Tour champ’s numbers, which he achieved over 28 years of excellence on the greens.

Once again, the golfing community is met with disappointing news! The idea of a deal between the PGA Tour and PIF arose a year ago, igniting anticipation among fans and professionals. The merger was supposed to be finalized by December 31 of last year, and it is now almost 6 months delayed. With each subsequent update, there’s speculation that it might happen this time, but has it come to any conclusion? Unfortunately, no!

The involvement of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy kindled similar hopes this time around, leading fans to believe that the PGA Tour might finally reach a definitive conclusion. The anticipation was high with McIlroy’s stance toward LIV and Woods’s recent assumption of the vice chairman position in the PGA Tour enterprises. However, is there any concrete update, even with esteemed figures like these?

What happened between the PGA Tour and PIF in the New York meeting?

Recently, reports surfaced revealing that Jay Monahan, Rory McIlroy, and the PGA Tour’s transaction committee, alongside Tiger Woods and Fenway Sports Group’s John Henry, met with Yasir Al-Rumayan and his team in New York. With the involvement of these officials and the anniversary of the deal’s inception, many speculated that the PGA Tour and PIF might establish some common ground.

However, instead of confirming the deal, what occurred was described as “more progress was made,” according to a post from @NUCLRGOLF on X, without any official confirmation or updation of the deal. In the same post, it also revealed that “the PGA TOUR Enterprises Transaction Subcommittee and the PIF have been meeting multiple times weekly to work through potential deal terms and come to a shared vision on the future of professional golf.”

Even after a year, the leagues continue to discuss potential deal terms without reaching any sort of conclusion. With no confirmation of specific dates or the duration the deal might require to get finalized, the statement “We remain committed to these negotiations, which require working through complex considerations to best position golf for global growth.” It suggests that further discussions are likely; therefore, the $3 billion merger would indeed be delayed further. It remains uncertain how much more time it will take for golf to unify. NUCLR GOLF’s post on X was inspired by the statement that came via Biran Keogh aka @IrishGolfDesk on X.

Just like the golf fans, the golfers are also getting tired of the delay. Keegan Bradley already shared similar sentiments after the first round of the Memorial Tournament.

What did Keegan Bradley say about the PGA Tour-PIF deal?

After the conclusion of the first round, Bradley joined the press conference at Muirfield Village and came across the question, “We’re one year out from the January 6th framework agreement announcement this last year. What’s the sense you’re getting now that we’re a year in? Are we getting closer or…”

Before the interviewer could finish, the 37-year-old responded, “I think a year later, it seems like there’s a lot of rumors and everything’s the exact same, so I don’t know. I haven’t seen a single difference since that day.”

The golfer highlighted similar facts: there hasn’t been any significant change in the golf world since the merger news, aside from some updates. Talking about majors, Bradley also revealed, “I’ve heard a lot of things that could happen. I’m thankful for Fenway Sports Group. I have no clue what’s going to happen with PIF. I hear a new rumor every day.“ And it seems he is somewhat correct, considering there is still no confirmation of what will happen next.

It’s been half a year since anyone has seen Sam Alexis Woods out on the golf course. Is she focused on her studies, or perhaps she’s dedicating her time to soccer? Maybe it’s a mix of both. Sam Woods surprised the golf community with her appearance at the PNC Championship last December. However, since the tournament ended, she hasn’t been spotted in public.

Certainly, the senior year of high school brings with it a significant amount of pressure, with final exams, projects, and other responsibilities to manage. In addition to academics, Sam also has a passion for soccer, which she excels in. Given these factors, it’s reasonable to assume that Sam Woods has currently redirected all her attention toward her studies and her favorite sport.

During last year’s PNC Championship, Tiger Woods made a last-minute decision to have his daughter caddie for him. It marked her debut appearance at the PNC Championship alongside her father. Prior to that, her last time caddying for the 15-time major champion was during the 2015 Masters in the par-3 contest. This unexpected and thrilling moment was a surprise for both Tiger and his fans, as Sam typically stayed away from the golf course. However, this time, she was right there on the greens. It’s been some time since Sam was last seen on the golf course.

Sam Woods and her regional final dreams

Sam’s dedication to soccer led her to join the Benjamin Buccaneers, where she competed at a regional level. Things were looking promising until February when everything took a turn after an unfortunate match. Sam and her team were on the brink of making it to the Florida High School Athletics Association’s Class 3A Girls Soccer Regional Finals. With an outstanding 17-0 season record, the Benjamin Buccaneers were leading Class 3A, second in Florida, and ninth in the US rankings. They were heavily favored against the King’s Academy Lions, who had an 11-4-2 record.

However, when facing the Lions, Sam’s team started to struggle. Despite the absence of their star player, Lola Hathorne, the match remained tied at 0-0 after 20 minutes of overtime. Sadly, during the penalty shootout, the Lions secured the win, bringing an end to Sam’s team’s unbeaten run.

Popstroke is miniature golf that entertains family-oriented golf along with promoting local breweries and thus includes food and beverages consistently. A former Wall Street executive at JP Morgan and later turned entrepreneur, Greg Bartoli, first opened a PopStroke in Port St. Lucie, Florida, back in 2019. Ever since then, this new venture towards a bridging point between professional golf’s innovation and the leisure of a pastime has brought forward the success of PopStroke. Only a year later, Tiger Woods whose present net worth is around $1.3 billion joined the team as an investor.

Other than his 82 PGA Tour wins, Tiger Woods has also created a legacy, off the course. He has many business ventures such as restaurants,  sports bars (T-squared), TGR Designs, and TGL. The 15x major winner’s design company, TGR Designs, has designed 8 PopStrokes locations. This includes Scottsdale, Arizona; Orlando (Waterford Lakes), Port St. Lucie, Houston, Tampa, Fort Myers, Glendale, and Sarasota.

However, as an investor, Tiger Woods can be considered the owner of all 13 PopStrokes that exist as of now. Other than the eight locations he has designed, PopStrokes are also located in Tuscaloosa, Myrtle Beach, Las Vegas, Delray Beach, and Dallas + The Colony.