Tiger Woods’ PGA Tour event sponsor Hero MotorCorp’s CEO spotted playing in the LIV Golf London London pro-am alongside Phil Mickelson

Dr. Pawan Munjal, a businessman with strong ties (so far) to Tiger Woods, was spotted this Thursday participating in a pro-am event on the LIV Golf circuit. There, Munjal played with none other than Phil Mickelson.

Dr. Pawan Munjal is the CEO of Hero MotorCorp, the main sponsor of the Hero World Challenge tournament on the PGA Tour. This tournament is also directly sponsored by Tiger Woods, who acts as the tournament's host.

Tiger Woods' position on the LIV Golf circuit is well known. Prior to last season's Open Championship, Woods said that the players who went to LIV had "turned their back on what has allowed them to get to this position."

So far, Hero MotorCorp's conduct had followed a similar line. After Indian player, Anirban Lahiri left the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf, Dr. Munjal's firm ceased its sponsorship of Lahiri.

That is why this move by the CEO of Hero MotorCorp has not escaped the interest of fans and the press. The fact occurs a little more than a month after the PGA Tour and the PIF of Saudi Arabia (the same that finances LIV Golf) announced an agreement to work together.

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What is Tiger Woods' relationship with Hero MotorCorp?

Hero MotorCorp Limited is a company founded in 1984 as Hero Honda. According to 2021 data, it managed a capital of 7.1 billion dollars. Since 2014, it has been an official sponsor of the tournament, also sponsored by Tiger Woods, currently called Hero World Challenge.

The Hero World Challenge has been played since 2000. Although it was not held in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there have been 23 editions, because it was played twice in the firsyt year (January and December).

Tiger Woods holding the trophy of the 2007 Target World Challenge (now named Hero World Challenge) Image via Getty).

Since then it has been played in the last month of each year. Since 2015, the home of the tournament is the Albany Golf Course in Bahamas, but before that it was played for 14 editions at the Sherwood Country Club (designed by Jack Nicklaus) in California.

Tiger Woods himself is the top winner of the event with five victories (2001, 04, 06, 07 and 11). Davis Love III (December 2000 and 2003), Graeme McDowell (2010 and 2012) and Viktor Hovland (2021-22) are the other multi-winners.

The prestige of the tournament, based mainly on the presence of Woods as its host, has always attracted the best players of the moment. The list of winners includes names such as Vijay Singh, Jordan Spieth, Zach Johnson, Bubba Watson, Hideki Matsuyama, Rickie Fowler and Jon Rahm.

Other important players have given prestige to the event even though they have not managed to win it. Such is the case of Scottie Scheffler (runner up twice), Tony Finau and Patrick Reed.