Tiger Woods, the legendary golfer, remains hopeful of competing in India someday. Despite being Hero MotoCorp’s global partner for the last 10 years, he has not yet participated in a competitive event in the country. His close friendship with Hero MotoCorp Chairman Pawan Munjal has been central to their long-standing partnership. Recently, their collaboration with the Hero World Challenge (HWC) was extended for another six years, ensuring Woods remains Hero’s global partner until 2030.
This year’s Hero World Challenge is set to take place from December 5 to December 8 and features 20 of the world’s top golfers. Among them are three players of Indian origin: Sahith Theegala, Akshay Bhatia, and Aaron Rai. Their inclusion brought immense pride to Munjal, who sees this as a significant moment for Indian golf.
“If you remember, we once had Anirban Lahiri playing here, which was amazing. He was ranked in the top-30 back then,” Munjal shared. “Now, having three players of Indian origin in a field of the world’s top-20 is a huge milestone for India. Even if they are not Indian citizens, the whole nation will be excited and proud.”
Theegala, an Indian-American, is currently ranked 12th in the world. Indo-British golfer Aaron Rai holds the 21st spot, while Indian-American Akshay Bhatia is ranked 31st. All 20 players in the tournament are ranked within the world’s top 40, highlighting the competitive nature of the event.
Munjal expressed his enthusiasm about extending the partnership with the tournament and Tiger Woods. “It was an easy decision,” he said. “The past 10 years have been an incredible journey that has benefited both Hero and the Tiger Woods Foundation. There was no doubt about continuing this relationship.”
Woods echoed these sentiments, calling the extension exciting. “Hero MotoCorp has been an incredible partner for the past 10 years,” Woods said. “This partnership has allowed us to help many young people through our foundation and inspire others to start their own charitable initiatives. Extending this relationship through 2030 feels very natural, and we hope to make it even better in the coming years.”
The collaboration between Hero and the Tiger Woods Foundation began in 2014 and has since become one of the longest-running partnerships on the PGA Tour.
Woods on His Recovery and Future Plans
Woods, who often uses the Hero World Challenge as a platform to test his fitness for the upcoming season, admitted he is not yet ready to compete. “I’m disappointed that I can’t participate this year,” Woods said. “I’m still working on my physical recovery and need to continue training to prepare for next season. But the fire to compete still burns inside me. I love competing, whether it’s in golf, cards, or anything else.”
The event is headlined by world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who is also the reigning FedEx Cup champion and a two-time Masters winner (2022 and 2024). Scheffler, the defending champion, leads an impressive field of players.