The PGA Tour have chance to make simple rule change which would really benefit Tiger Woods

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Tiger Woods has enjoyed a simply phenomenal golfing career, but the former world number one has sadly not been at his best for some time.

Woods withdrew from the Hero World Challenge this week, with his ongoing back problem forcing him out of the event in the Bahamas.

The 15-time major champion has been dealing with back issues for several years now, with Forbes reporting that Woods has undergone six separate spine surgeries from 2004 to 2024.

That is a truly remarkable and massively unwanted feat for the 48-year-old, who will be desperate to put the problems to one side once and for all.

But the constant issue for one of the game’s biggest stars could potentially be resolved with a PGA Tour rule change in 2025, with the allowance of carts surely able to ease his struggles.

Tiger Woods could benefit from carts being sanctioned by PGA Tour

Casey Martin’s landmark victory over the PGA Tour in 2001 means players with a disability can use a cart in competition, with the likes of Martin and John Daly having made use of the rule.

But as quoted by GolfDigest in 2022, Woods was not in favour of the idea, having been questioned about his potential usage of carts in his Hero World Challenge pre-tournament press conference at the time.

READ MORE: Tiger Woods delivers update on current state of his game and reveals why he’s not playing the Hero World Challenge

“On the PGA Tour, no,” said Woods. “My teammate was Casey Martin, and what he did with the ADA, I voted against it. I think [walking] is an integral part of the game at our level, and I will never take a golf cart until it’s sanctioned.”

Slow play issue can also be solved by PGA Tour rule change

Along with helping out Woods, such a rule change from the PGA Tour could also solve the ongoing problem of slow play.

Ian Poulter says slow play has always been an issue, with the problem particularly coming to the fore at the end of the latest LPGA Tour season.

READ MORE: Whether Tiger Woods expects to be ready for TGL opener on January 14th after missing the Hero World Challenge

Star duo Nelly Korda and Charley Hull criticised the slow pace of play at The ANNIKA last month, but it remains to be seen what, if anything, will be done by the powers that be.

Now, therefore, seems like the perfect time for golf chiefs to implement the simple rule change of sanctioning carts, with a debate surely needed at the top level at the very least.

The PGA Tour are already hard at work with new changes from 2025, such as reducing field sizes and the number of tour cards available.

But they now have a fantastic opportunity to kill two birds with one stone by really fixing the issue of slow play and helping out injury-hit stars such as Woods.