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Tiger Woods has been one of the premier golfers over the last two and a half decades. Since 1996, when he was golfing, all eyes were on him. No other golfer has really ever commanded that sort of attention. Even when he was well past his prime and competing in tournaments where he had little chance of winning, everyone watched with bated breath.
It's the sort of career that many golfers can only dream of. It's the sort of career that deserves to be immortalized. That can come in various forms, such as an induction to the Hall of Fame (Woods was inducted in 2022).
Another form of immortalization for legends of a sport is to grace the cover of the sport's official video game. The golfer has had eponymous video games before, like the CyberTiger and Tiger Woods 99 franchises, but being on the cover of a game like PGA Tour 2K is a tremendous honor.
It's an honor that Woods is now holding. The 2K23 version of the game was briefly released on Amazon by accident, showcasing the PGA Tour legend on the cover.
It was removed, prompting speculation about whether or not the golf icon was actually on the cover.
The golfer has confirmed his presence on the video game, saying:
"I am looking forward to making my return to the video game landscape, and with 2K and HB Studios, I've found the right partners to make it happen. I'm honored to take part in this opportunity and look forward to sharing my expertise and insights as we build the future of golf video games together."
While he is the cover athlete and will be a big reason potential buyers pick up the game, he's not just eye candy. He will reportedly serve as an executive director and consultant with PGA Tour 2K.
This will likely make the game as realistic and high-quality as possible. After all, there aren't many golfers who know the game better than Woods.
His involvement can only help the game get better. The pro golfer announced on Twitter that more information, likely release date, gameplay footage, and other details would be coming on the 22nd.
Why Tiger Woods was chosen to represent PGA Tour 2K23
This is only the second game under the 2K name. The franchise began as The Golf Club in 2014 and released two sequels, one in 2017 and the final in 2019.
The first official PGA Tour 2K game was PGA Tour 2K21, in which Justin Thomas was the cover athlete.
This video game franchise is not that well established. They've only been making games for about eight years and have only made five up to this point. They're unlike Madden, NBA 2K, MLB: The Show, or those other franchises.
As such, the cover athlete for this game is a little more important. Potential buyers might see a game with Woods on the cover and look at it. On the other hand, other notable but less recognizable athletes might not have the same pull.
Woods is the most famous golfer, perhaps ever. His face will sell copies, and that's what 2K needs.
