PINEHURST, N.C. – Cheyenne Woods huddled around her laptop with friend Lee Lopez in Pinehurst, North Carolina, to watch uncle Tiger tie Sam Snead’s record of 82 PGA Tour victories. She was in the midst of the longest grind in golf – LPGA Q-Series – and drew inspiration from his unrelenting perseverance.
“I’ve always said Tiger is someone we’ve never really seen before,” said Cheyenne, “what he’s capable of doing.”
There’s been a lot of talk in recent years about resurrecting a mixed event between the LPGA and PGA Tours. There have been several different formats batted around, including the idea of another JC Penney Classic, which Woods competed in alongside Kelli Kuehne in 1996.
Has she ever brought it up with Tiger?
“I haven’t,” said Woods, grinning. “I might shoot him a text now that you mention it. ‘I call dibs on you.’ ”
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The Vic Open, held in February, features men and women competing on the same course in Australia at the same time for equal prize money. 2019 marked the first time the LPGA and European Tour co-sanctioned the event.
Should an event like the JC Penney return to the U.S. golf calendar, Cheyenne likes to think Tiger would compete. Maybe even nudge a potential sponsor.
Wouldn’t that be something?
“Tiger, obviously he loves trying to grow the game,” she said. “I think it could a good opportunity for him to have that influence and bring a lot more attention to the women’s side and just golf in general.”
It would be a nice opportunity for the men to step up, she continued.
“Everyone says yeah, equality and the women are great,” said Cheyenne, “but for us to have that stage, to be able to go and the men show up, we show up and we play together, that would be awesome. Just to have that mutual support of each tour.”
Cheyenne will have LPGA status no matter what happens this week in Pinehurst. If she finishes outside the top 45, however, it will be extremely limited status (Category 18). This season Cheyenne tried to Monday-qualify for the LPGA five times and made it through only once, in Indianapolis. She shot 7 under in Phoenix, where she lives, and missed out to Cheyenne Knight, who rode a strong finish there to her first LPGA title in Texas. Woods lost in a playoff for MQ at the Kia.
After that, she hired a new swing instructor in Scott Hamilton, feeling that her game had plateaued in recent years. She’s 149th on the LPGA money list.
The 29-year-old Wake Forest grad is 8 over at Q-Series after five rounds. The top 80 and ties after 108 holes make the cut at Pinehurst No. 9. The top 45 and ties after eight rounds earn Category 14 status on the LPGA for 2002.
“I think if I can work my way back to even par these next three days,” said Woods, “I’ll at least give myself a chance to definitely improve my status and get into a good amount of events (next) year.”
