Asked if he would rule out teeing it up at the 2026 Masters, Tiger Woods responded with a simple, one-worded answer, “No.” Speaking ahead of the 2026 Genesis Invitational, where he serves as the tournament host, the 15-time major champion was unable to give a firm timeline on his return to competitive golf, though the 50-year-old did confirm that he is at least eyeing Augusta National in April as a possible landing spot.
“I’m trying [to come back], put it that way,” Woods said. “The disc replacement has been one thing. It’s been a challenge to — I’ve had a fused back and now a disc replacement, so it’s challenging.
“And now, I entered a new decade, so that number is starting to sink in and has us thinking about the opportunity to be able to play in a cart. That’s something that, as I said, I won’t do out here on [the PGA Tour] because I don’t believe in it. But on the Champions Tour, that’s certainly that opportunity.”
Woods announced in October 2025 that he underwent another back surgery, this one to replace a collapsed lumbar disc. The procedure came as he was already recovering from a torn Achilles, which also required surgery and caused him to miss the entire 2025 season.
“The Achilles was not an issue. I can’t dunk a basketball anymore, so I don’t have to worry about that,” Woods said with a smirk. “As far as the disc replacement, it’s just sore. It takes time. [Will Zalatoris] went through it, and it took him a while to come back. I’m a little bit older than Willy Z. It’s probably going to take me a little bit longer.
“My body has been through a lot. It’s just one of those things where it’s each and every day, I keep trying, I keep progressing, I keep working on it, trying to get stronger, trying to get more endurance in this body and trying to get it at a level at which I can play at the highest level again.”
Despite being on screen cheering on his Jupiter Links team in TGL, Woods has not hit a shot in competition since the 2024 Open. That season, he played in only five events and was forced to withdraw from the Genesis Invitational before missing the cuts at the PGA Championship, U.S. Open and The Open.
The only time Woods saw weekend action was the Masters, where he set the tournament record with his 24th straight made cut and finished in solo 60th, last among those who played the weekend.
“I’m able to [hit full shots],” Woods said. “Not well every day, but I can hit them.”
The Masters is less than two months away with play beginning on Thursday, April 9.
