Tiger Woods is back in the game – digitally anyway.
Woods has signed a long-term partnership with the company behind the PGA Tour 2K video game series, returning the 15-time major champion to an industry he once dominated with EA Sports.
The deal was announced on Tuesday, almost a month after Woods suffered career-threatening leg injuries when he crashed an SUV on a steep road in the suburbs of Los Angeles.
It’s possible that Woods will never return to the PGA Tour, where his 82 wins are for the most part equal to Sam Snead, but his name and likeness will be used exclusively in the PGA Tour 2K franchise. Woods was not one of the players in last year’s 2K game and it is unclear whether he will be added and whether his name or image will be used on the cover. A press release from 2K only said Woods would become an executive director and consultant.
Woods worked with EA Sports for 15 years and the Tiger Woods PGA Tour series is one of the most successful sports video games ever. Woods and EA Sports split in 2013, four years after news of Woods’s extramarital affairs tainted his public image.
EA Sports rebuilt the game from scratch, putting Rory McIlroy on the cover in 2015, but the reboot didn’t get enough reviews. EA Sports has not made a golf game since then.
“I look forward to returning to the video game landscape, and with 2K and HB Studios I have found the right partners to make this happen,” Woods said in a statement from 2K. “I am honored to participate in this opportunity and look forward to sharing my expertise and insights as we build the future of golf video games together.”