Insider predicts Tiger Woods could make surprising return to PGA Tour

Notah Begay III wears many hats. As a former PGA Tour winner and current Golf Channel analyst, he’s a tour insider. But he’s also a Tiger Woods insider.

As an old friend and confidant of the 15-time major champion, Begay’s prediction for Tiger carries a lot of weight. His latest prediction? Woods will indeed return to the PGA Tour soon. But it’s more than that. Begay also suggested Tiger could compete in two Tour events he rarely attends.

Notah Begay III discusses Tiger Woods’ return

Begay’s long friendship with Woods began in junior golf and continued on the Stanford University golf team and later on the PGA Tour.

In the past, Begay has provided insights into the tiger’s mind that only the big cat himself could provide.

Now, everyone wants to know what Tiger is thinking. After competing in his first TGL season earlier this year, Woods appears ready for the 2025 season. But then Achilles surgery kept him out for the entire year.

In October, Woods announced he had undergone disc replacement surgery in his back, further throwing his return date into doubt.

This week, Begay appears on Straight Facts Homie! Host Trey Wingo hosts the podcast, and he quickly answers one of the biggest questions on golf fans’ minds: When, if ever, will Tiger Woods play on the PGA Tour again?

Begay responded by predicting not only that he would return, but that he could do so in two unlikely events: the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial and the RBC Heritage at Port Town on Hilton Head Island.

Why has Tiger participated in these events once? Begay explained that the only thing holding Tiger back from returning to professional golf is his ability to walk 72 holes.

“I think there are a couple of venues that could accommodate his current physical condition,” Begay said on the podcast. “I think the biggest question, in my conversations with him, is the walk. That’s it. He hits the ball great, he’s in really good shape. He’s got enough ball speed, 175-180, which is good enough for the PGA Tour. Can he walk 72 holes plus the Pro-Am? I don’t know, that’s a big question. So I think a flat major championship site. Hilton Head, the Colonial with flat terrain, is probably going to be a target.”

He continued: “These are venues that he typically never played. He played Colonial once and never went back. And I don’t think he’s ever been to Hilton Head. So I think those are two things you’ll probably see at some point.”

Begay also gave reasons why Woods is trying to come back again. The inspiration came from wanting to win his 83rd PGA Tour event to break his current tie with Sam Snead for the most wins in tour history.

“In his heart, 83 is a big number. It’s an important number,” Begay said.

If it weren’t for the PGA Tour, Begay admitted he would have loved to have played in some PGA Tour Champions events, a wish repeated by many older pros.

“But we’d also love to see him on the Champions Tour where he can drive a golf cart!”

For the record, the 2026 RBC Heritage will be held April 16-19, one week after the 2026 Masters, another potential location for Woods to return to professional golf. The 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge will kick off on May 28 at Colonial.

How Tiger Woods and Notah Begay III became ‘fake brothers’

In addition to providing insight into current and future Tiger Woods, Begay also revealed what it was like to meet a young Tiger 40 years ago, when he was already dominating the tournament.

“Tiger and I have been friends since he was 9 years old, so that’s over 40 years now,” Begay explained in his Straight Facts Homie! appearance.

They first met at a junior golf tournament played by Begay’s brother. But the tiger caught Begay’s attention.

“I kept hearing about this kid winning tournaments by 15 and 20 strokes. I said I’m going to go see this kid. I met young Tiger Woods, who was 9 years old, and he was out there competing against and beating older kids,” Begay revealed. “Even at that age, his energy and energy and the way he went about his business was just fascinating.”

Begay then shared how their first meeting blossomed into a lifelong friendship.

“So after the round, I walked up to him and introduced myself and we became friends. We would see each other at junior tournaments along the way. We would hang out. [Tiger’s father Earl Woods] Always traveling with him, whereas my parents couldn’t travel because traveling was expensive. So Earl always looked out for me. He always makes sure I have dinner. He always made sure I had a ride to class,” Begay said. “So we were almost like fake brothers and we carried that friendship into college. “

He also claimed that Woods was the greatest golfer of all time and felt that witnessing what Tiger had accomplished throughout his career gave him the right to make that decision.

“So I’ve been with my friend through every step of life – the good, the bad, the ugly. I have the utmost respect for everything he’s done. No one can truly understand the mountains he had to climb to set these records and what he had to sacrifice to set them. But no one works harder at the game than Tiger Woods, and probably no one is more talented than him, and that’s why I think he’s the best player of all time.”

You can watch Begay’s entire appearance on Straight Facts Homie! The podcast is here.

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