We break down Tiger Woods’ seventh back surgery and ruthless vision for the 2027 season, plus Rory McIlroy’s polarizing course critique at the Australian Open.

TIGER’S PAIN & POWER

• Woods withdraws from the PNC following his seventh back surgery (lumbar disc replacement), but his influence hasn't waned. As Chair of the Future Competition Committee, he warns that the 2027 season of scarcity will require sacrifice to achieve parity.
• Quote: "Eggs will be spilled and crushed." — Tiger Woods on implementing the new model.
• The Reality: This marks the seventh major back procedure for the 82-time winner as he balances recovery with reshaping the Tour.

RORY DOWN UNDER

• McIlroy stirs the pot in Australia, claiming Royal Melbourne is "probably not the best course" in the city compared to Kingston Heath. He also reveals a major mindset shift: he’s done chasing records and is now hunting legacy wins at St Andrews and Pebble Beach.
• Quote: "Probably not the best course in Melbourne." — Rory on the famed Royal Melbourne layout.
• The Shift: Rory admits the Career Grand Slam is now secondary to winning at specific historic venues.

THE COMEBACK

• Jeffrey Guan makes an emotional return to pro golf at the Australian Open just months after losing vision in his left eye. He details the grueling rehab process, including using video games to retrain his depth perception.
• Fun Fact: Guan utilized *Fortnite* to help retrain his visual processing speed.

Quick Hits

2025 POY Nominees announced (Scheffler, McIlroy, Fleetwood, Griffin) • JT beefs with Bethpage grounds crew over Ryder Cup green speeds • Scottie eyes a three-peat at the Hero World Challenge • Jordan Spieth returns to action at Albany • Aaron Rai steps in for the injured Justin Thomas.

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