Tiger talks caddie and plans for 'monthly' '24 starts

Tiger Woods is still searching for a regular caddie.

He says he’ll likely need one often next year.

Friend and business partner Rob McNamara will be on the bag for this week’s Hero World Challenge, where Woods is returning to competition for the first time since his mid-Masters withdrawal and subsequent right-ankle surgery. But Woods said Tuesday in Albany, Bahamas, that he still hasn’t decided on a permanent replacement for longtime caddie Joe LaCava, who transitioned over to Patrick Cantlay’s bag earlier this year.

Woods’ 14-year-old son, Charlie – well, “he can’t play hooky that often,” Woods said.

If that comment hinted at Woods’ competitive plans for 2024, then his later remarks confirmed them.

Best-case scenario? Playing “maybe a tournament a month,” Woods answered.

"We have set up right now the biggest events are one per month, it sets itself up for that," Woods added. "Now, I need to get myself ready for all that. I think this week is a big step in that direction."

Looking at the PGA Tour's schedule for next year, here are the events Woods could play if he chose to start in January and play once per month through July: Farmers, Genesis, The Players, Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open and The Open. The FedExCup Playoffs begin in August, though assuming Woods' still light schedule, he'd be a longshot to earn enough points to qualify.

But who knows? Woods said Tuesday that his game felt "rusty," but that he no longer was experiencing any pain in his surgically repaired right ankle, which had made walking difficult.

"I'm not concerned at all about walking it," Woods said of a scheduled 90 holes (including a practice 18) at Albany this week. "It's more, as I said, I don't have any of the ankle pain that I had with the hardware that's been placed in my foot, that's all gone. The other parts of my body, my knee hurts, my back. The forces go somewhere else. Just like when I had my back fused, the forces have to go somewhere. So it's up the chain.

"As I said, I'm just as curious as all of you with what's going to happen."

Woods was later asked if he believes he can win this week. Woods wouldn't be expected to say anything different, and he replied, "Absolutely."

But what happens when he doesn't have that confidence?

"There will come a point in time, I haven't come around to it fully yet, that I won't be able to win again," Woods said. "When that day comes, I'll walk – well, now I can walk. I won't say run away, but I'm going to walk away."

Stream all four rounds of Tiger Woods at the Hero World Challenge on Peacock. Click here to learn more and sign up for Tiger’s return.