TGL PRESENTED BY SOFI: JUPITER LINKS GOLF CLUB VS NEW YORK GOLF CLUB

January 13, 2026

Tiger Woods

Max Homa

Kevin Kisner

Akshay Bhatia

SoFi Center

Jupiter Links GC

Press Conference

New York Golf Club 8, Jupiter Links GC 3

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THE MODERATOR: We'll start with Akshay. Your first TGL match. Came out hot, scored two points right off the bat. Overall what was it like out there for you?

AKSHAY BHATIA: It was a lot of fun, obviously, being with Tiger and Max and Kis. It was just great energy to start, and then obviously we lost some momentum with an unfortunate shot clock error that we had. All in all, it was awesome, and I look forward to these upcoming matches.

Q. Can you walk us through the shot clock violation?

KEVIN KISNER: Yeah, Max told me I had seven seconds. Felt like I shouldn't have started yet. But they were asking for a ruling, so I didn't know if we were pausing or they were still moving around kind of near the hole asking for a ruling about their ball.

Then obviously we should have called a time-out. I thought I could get it off with seven seconds, but I've never really had someone tell me to hit a putt in seven seconds before in my life. I thought I could do that.

He told me when I took my last look, he told me, oh, no, we're screwed.

Q. Tiger, optimistic in your chances of playing in season 2, or where are you at right now in the rehab process?

TIGER WOODS: Well, I'm moving up to short irons, so that's about it. I need a little bit more than that to be able to play here.

At my speed right now, I could probably play the Stinger hole. Just kind of roll it off the tee. But no, I'm progressing, which is nice. I'm getting there and getting stronger.

It's just one of those things where it just takes so much time for the bone to heal and the bone to set.

Q. Akshay, I wanted to ask you about the putting green as a first-timer. Would you compare it to anything else, or was it completely unique for you?

AKSHAY BHATIA: No, super unique. We were warming up earlier, and Kis and I were talking, one of the first putts, the first hole we had a hammer putt, and his putt, we didn't even see that putt when we were warming up. It's pretty different. It's hard to read it in that short amount of time. You just have to be really strategic.

But it felt like we all hit really good putts and they didn't go in, and then they made everything.

All in all, it's something you've got to get used to over time. It's just an interesting kind of way to read the green.

Q. Tiger, here supporting your guys, with your team, and also obviously supporting Charlie at Benjamin. Is this a new look on golf being off the scores in terms of full swings and all that and supporting you guys around you? Has that been difficult or a different way of looking at the game?

TIGER WOODS: I'll tell you, it's a lot more stressful watching. Participating and playing, yes, it is nerve-racking. I'm not going to say it's not. But at least I have control. Watching my son play or watching these guys play out there, I have no control over that.

I'm hoping they do their very best. I'm wishing for nothing but the best outcomes at all times, and it's frustrating when my son doesn't play well because he put his heart and soul into it. These guys were up early and got the momentum, and it looked like we were going to maybe win a match, and they don't, and it's not fun to watch because I want these guys to win.

Q. Stinger was mentioned earlier. Max, we saw how unforgiving the rocks are sometimes. How difficult is that shot in?

MAX HOMA: Yeah, it's tricky. We practiced it a bunch this morning. It's a tricky shot. You kind of realize when you play in this league how much you play golf with your eyes, and if you had a tree there, I think it's almost easier at times to keep it down.

But it's always great to come here and get some experience in something that's so unique because maybe a different club would be a better option. Matt hit a really cool driver and it's easier to launch it a bit lower. It's a very hard shot, but you can get down on it a little bit more. It's one of those things, it's hard, you hit it, you think it's okay and then you see the Shot Tracer climbing and you know it's not great. So it's a tricky hole but it's very cool.

I think that's what this league should be about is fun shots, fun golf holes, fun for the fans to watch, something unique, makes us look silly, and I think that's always -- the relatability stuff is cool. It sparks some conversations and laughs. It's a cool hole, and they've got more, I feel like, along those lines this season than last.

KEVIN KISNER: You hit the fairway, too.

MAX HOMA: I did hit the fairway.

TIGER WOODS: But that's also from fan input. Season 1 they wanted more traditional holes, traditional golf, but in a simulator setting. Fan input said that we want to see something creative, something different, think outside the box. The word is not "goofy" but something that is different and unique that you would have to force the top players in the world to hit shots that they probably wouldn't hit, especially in a simulator.

Q. Akshay, are you signed through the whole season if you're needed?

AKSHAY BHATIA: Yeah. Yeah, I am.

Q. Tiger, we wanted to get your thoughts on Brooks coming back. Obviously you were involved in the process, I take it. Can you take us through that? Did you even talk to Brooks when this all went on, and how long did it take to come up with that plan that's in place?

TIGER WOODS: Well, we received his letter on December 23rd that he wants to come back. He wrote to the commissioner and Brian. We took that letter and then took it to both boards and tried to implement a plan that would be fair and adequate, that justifies Brooks' time away from our tour, the penalties served, the fines if necessary, what the integration would look like on our tour, and obviously the bonus payouts, yes or no.

We had lots of subsequent meetings, worked through the holidays. There was no days off. We just worked through it day after day after day, and we came out with a plan that we unveiled.

Yes, we're not going to satisfy every player. This plan was created for a very select few players that met the criteria. You know the names. As far as his integration, he has the right, I think, in our sport, with our meritocracy that we have on the PGA TOUR, that he has the right to earn his way into Signature Events, and if he plays well enough, he has a chance to earn his way into the playoffs. But he's not going to get the bonus pool from that. But he has a chance to earn his way into those fields.

Plus on top of that, he's not taking a spot away from any player. That was one of the main concerns and one of the big things that myself and the other player directors demanded, that that was never going to be the case. He's an additive, and then on top of that, to fill out the group, or if it happens to be in the summer where it's twosomes or if it happens to be threesomes, there's two more players that could get in.

The alternate list, I think they're going to be impacted getting in one or two more events, which is a positive thing, and on top of that, we get a probably top-3-of-his-generation player back that went to another tour, played over there, and was adamant about coming back here and got out early to come back.

That says a lot about the PGA TOUR, where we're headed, what we have done, what we accomplished and the players who have stayed and who have supported the Tour. Having another world-class player that these guys are going to try and beat, that's what the fans demanded. That's what the fans wanted for our fan initiative program, and I think we've addressed that.

Q. You mentioned your critical role as one of the player directors. How long were you guys talking through scenarios of the first guy wanting to come back from that Tour, and were you surprised that that player happened to be Brooks?

TIGER WOODS: We've been rolling through scenarios for a very long time. Ever since our talks at the White House last February to now, there was always ways in which how do we make our sport unified again. Is it total unification, some type of integration, how do we do it, where do we do it. Different tours are involved. But this is a first move, which is a great move.

Q. Tiger, do you plan to have any direct contact with the players that meet the criteria before the deadline that you've set? Are you trying to canvass them to come back, or is it leaving it to them?

TIGER WOODS: Actually the CEO is Brian, so they need to talk to Brian, need to write a letter to Jay and Brian to get the ball rolling.

Q. How much back and forth was there with the final criteria, and is there anything that you would change that he rolled out today or yesterday?

TIGER WOODS: No. I thought we hit -- yes, there are opinions from both sides. We're not going to satisfy everyone. We know that. But the whole idea is to make our tour better than what it was. With Brooks' addition to the TOUR, it does. It makes it a better place to play.

Now with players who have earned equity, and there are four more years of potential earning of equity for these players, the fact that they own the TOUR, if Brooks plays, it puts more money in their pocket. It's a win for everyone.