Tiger Woods has backing of PGA Tour star after Mount Rushmore debate
Billy Horschel defended Tiger Woods after Jon Heyman's Mount Rushmore list of greatest athletes this century excluded the golf legend, sparking debate on social media
Billy Horschel has weighed in on social media regarding a "Mount Rushmore" compilation of the greatest athletes witnessed this century, with the golf star revealing his true thoughts on Tiger Woods.
As Horschel spearheads the Atlanta Drive TGL squad in its sophomore season, Woods remains on the sidelines recuperating from his seventh back operation performed last October.
Following Novak Djokovic's triumph over Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open, Jon Heyman, a baseball journalist and MLB Network insider, posted his thoughts online. "Novak Djokovic is on the Mount Rushmore of athletes this century. Brady, LeBron, Ohtani. And don't @ me," Heyman declared on X.
Horschel wasted no time defending golf's place in the conversation and offering an alternative viewpoint to fans. "A guy by the name of Tiger would like a word," Horschel replied.
With 15 major championships and 82 PGA Tour victories to his name, Woods revolutionized the sport for countless enthusiasts, inspiring younger players when he captured the Masters at merely 21 years of age back in 1997.
The iconic golfer - who celebrated his 50th birthday this past December - remains out of action due to back troubles, though he's optimistic about making a comeback eventually.
"It's been slow," Woods said. "Not able to do much on a disk replacement to let it set; can't really do much. Now, we got the OK to start cranking up a little bit in the gym, started strengthening and started doing a little bit more of the rotational component that I haven't been able to do, just letting the disk kind of set."
Woods mentioned this isn't uncharted territory for him, given the 15-time major champion has endured more than 30 injuries throughout his career.
"Unfortunately, I've been through this rehab process before," Woods said. "It's just step by step. Once I get a feel for practicing, exploding, playing, the recovery process, then I can assess where I'm going to play and how much I'll play."
Woods qualifies for the PGA Tour Champions, and although many eagerly anticipate his comeback, the legend suggested he might participate in 25 events across both Tours.
Asked about potential senior tournament appearances in 2026, Woods quipped that he'd likely take part in 25 events spanning both circuits.
"I think that should cover most of the year, right?" Woods said. "No, I'm just looking forward to just [getting] back to playing again. Let me do that, and then I'll kind of figure out what the schedule is going to be. I'm a ways away from that part of it and that type of decision, that type of commitment level."
