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 screen, it was a reminder of what’s to return in 2025. Woods can be again to play extra event 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 a little bit 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 one of the best on this 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 take a look at Woods’ recreation for the reason that Open Championship in July.

However what else is golf squeezing in earlier than the New Yr 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 among the greatest random non-tournament programming that professional golf has all yr. The Golf Channel staff can be pinging across the course, selecting up deilghtful bits of gold from legends and their youngsters, every put comfortable by the presence of the opposite. Simply final yr we had Lee Trevino speaking about his every day routine and Padraig Harrington deep-diving parenting philosophy throughout the span of some minutes. Come for Tiger and Charlie, keep for every thing else. And that’s earlier than the event really begins!

As soon as we get began it’s loads of enjoyable, too, particularly if you happen to’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 subject, and with Justin and Mike Thomas out I’m guessing there’s an excellent 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? Kind of. There’s loads of nice stuff about this: It’s Brooks and Bryson vs. Rory and Scottie, pitting 4 of golf’s largest 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 night time, 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 occurring?!

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

3. The Mauritius Open

What do I find out about this golf event? Not a lot aside from the dates, Dec. 19-22, the defending champ, Louis Oosthuizen, and the truth that it calls itself “Golf’s Most Stunning Week.” Epic. For those who stay exterior the US or if you happen to’re simply up at odd hours, in search of golf protection, this could possibly 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 way 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

This can be a probably 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 bought 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 received a serious championship not too long ago. Not less than one. You may 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. Perhaps they’re actually solely fascinating to me. However there are two team-golf docs I’m partway by way of and whereas I’m not prepared to present a full-on endorsement I’m at the least 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 battle their approach by way 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 so on. — and an intriguing countdown to league launch. Do I want each docs had been performed independently, with no editorial oversight from the individuals concerned? For certain, 1000 % sure. That might have probed some existential questions on what we’re all doing right here. However we’ll take what we’ve bought. It’s mid-December, in spite of everything.