Tiger Woods could make golf return at premier Hilton Head event, insider says
A close friend and confidant of Tiger Woods said the legendary golfer could play at Hilton Head’s most famous PGA Tour event in the future.
PGA Tour golfer Notah Begay III, a close friend of Woods since the golf superstar was 9 years old, was a guest this week on the “Straight Facts Homie!” podcast with Trey Wingo.
Wingo asked Begay if the world has seen the end of Woods as a threat in any major golf competition. Begay said Woods is less of a consistent threat than he used to be; his ball speeds are good at 175-180 mph, but walking 72 holes is the issue. The athlete underwent his most recent back surgery in October, according to news reports.
A venue with flatter terrain, like Hilton Head’s Harbour Town Golf Links or the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Texas, are two places Woods could try, Begay said.
“I think that a major championship venue with flatter terrain — Hilton Head with flatter terrain, Colonial with flatter terrain — I think might be targets,” he said. “Those are two venues that he’s typically never really played at. He played Colonial once and never went back, and I don’t think he’s ever been to Hilton Head. I think those are two things that you may see at some point.”
Woods played at the RBC Heritage once, in 1999. The tournament was then known as the MCI Classic.
RBC Heritage was the PGA Tour’s only South Carolina tournament until last year. It started in 1969, and Arnold Palmer was its first winner. It takes place at the legendary Harbour Town Golf Links at the Sea Pines Resort, which reopened this month following major renovations.
About 120,000 people attended the tournament last year, according to its website, and about 70% of spectators make more than $100,000 per year. The tournament has a purse of $20 million.
Next year’s RBC Heritage tournament is scheduled for April 13-19, 2026, and tickets are currently on sale.
This story was originally published November 20, 2025 at 2:44 PM.