CROMWELL, Conn. — Still one of the biggest names in golf, Tiger Woods appeared, albeit briefly, at the TPC River Highlands on Tuesday in his role as player director on the PGA Tour policy board. He was in Connecticut to support the naming of Brian Rolapp as the tour’s newly named CEO.

Woods has never played in Connecticut’s PGA event, and with the 49-year-old legend’s career winding down, this likely will be the closest he’ll come to teeing it up here.

Woods, who arrived for a PGA board meeting in West Hartford on Monday night, attended the early morning press conference, posed for photos with assembled officials, but was not available for interviews and departed as golfers were beginning their practice rounds amid the light rain.

“He came out to the course and was part of the players’ meeting and for all their announcements,” said Andy Bessette, Travelers executive VP and chief administrative officer. “It’s always good to see him.”

Woods has won 82 tour events, tied with Sam Snead for most in history, and 15 majors, more than anyone but Jack Nicklaus (18). But his last win, and his last major title came in 2019. Age and injuries, including those sustained in a car accident in 2021, have curtailed his career. He had surgery on a ruptured Achilles in March and has not played since the PNC Championship in December 2024.

Though he declined an invitation to captain the U.S. Ryder Cup team, Woods has been active and involved in PGA Tour issues, as talks aimed at an agreement with Saudi-backed LIV Golf, which has siphoned off many of the top players, are ongoing and the look of pro golf is evolving. Rolapp, a veteran NFL executive tapped for a newly created PGA post, singled Woods out for his work on that front.

“I think I would classify Tiger’s influence as significant,” Rolapp told reporters behind the clubhouse. “He works hard. He’s smart. He’s dedicated. I would say that about Tiger and all these player representatives and other board members, they work really hard and they care a lot. I think the amount of time and work they’re putting into this and rethinking this has been very impressive to me, and I think I would point out Tiger specifically.

“He certainly cares about the game. I won’t speak for him. He can speak for himself. But from what I’ve seen, the amount of time and dedication and work he’s putting into this, he’s driving, doing this for, not his legacy necessarily, but he’s doing it for the benefit of the next generation of players, and that comes through significantly.”

Travelers Championship officials have been trying to get Woods to join the star-studded fields that have played in Cromwell for decades, especially since it is now a Signature Event with a $20 million purse and most of the world’s top golfers — 45 of the top 50 this year. But, partly because the Travelers comes the week after the U.S. Open and because of Woods has been cutting back on schedules, it has never happened.

“He’s always been open with me, he’s never played the week after a major,” Bessette said. “That’s just the way it was. And now, his injuries prevent him from playing most tournaments. It was just good to have him here.”

Woods has visited the club occasionally through the years. In Tuesday, he toured the clubhouse and the surrounding areas.

Woods again was ranked first in the PGA’s Player Impact Program (PIP ratings) which measure the golfer’s popularity as well as excellence. PGA champ Scottie Scheffler, who has been the top-ranked player in the world since March 2022, is No. 2 on that list.

Meanwhile, Jay Monahan, a 1993 Trinity College grad who has been PGA commissioner through 10 consequential years, announced in December he would be leaving that position and a CEO would be named. That search came to an end Tuesday with Rolapp, who was the chief media and business officer for the NFL, getting the job. Monahan will relinquish day-to-day management responsibilities and focus on his position on the PGA board going forward.

The Travelers is signed on to continue as a Signature Event through 2030.

“I spent about 20 minutes with Brian (Tuesday), and we both think like business people,” Bessette said. “He’s really terrific. He’s got his head in this thing. Somebody asked what his handicap is and he said, ‘They didn’t hire me to play golf, they hired me to run the business.’

“That’s terrific. That’s the right attitude, and I think the future of the tour is so exciting. We’ve got a really good CEO coming in who has run major league sports before and knows what’s important and how to do it.”

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