Woods not ruling out Masters’ appearance

Tiger Woods has left the door open for a return to the 2026 Masters Tournament. 

The 15-time major champion gave a straightforward response when reporters asked if competing at Augusta National this April was off the table. “No,” Woods replied during a press event ahead of the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club, where he serves as tournament host.

Woods, now 50, has battled a series of injuries that sidelined him from competitive play. He last teed it up at the 2024 Open Championship and made his 24th straight Masters cut that year before finishing 60th. 

A torn Achilles in spring 2025 forced him to skip the entire season, followed by a seventh back surgery in October to replace a collapsed lumbar disc. 

Recovery has required patience, as he noted the procedure remains tender and his body needs time to adapt after years of wear.

“My body has been through a lot. It’s one of those things, each and every day I keep trying, keep progressing and working on it,” he said. 

Still, he has shown progress with his practice routines. Woods revealed he now hits full shots with all clubs, moving past chipping and putting drills. “Yeah, I’m able to (hit full shots), not well every day, but I can hit them,” he said. He is currently working on building strength and endurance to compete at the highest level once more. 

While no firm return date exists, Augusta lingers as a target less than two months away, starting April 9.

All in all, Woods has maintained optimism and hope with his words, as he plans to make a comeback eventually, “I’m trying [to come back], put it that way.” He also said that he was thinking of his age more these days, “The disc replacement has been one thing, it’s been a challenge. I entered a new decade, so that number is starting to sink in.”

At 50, Woods is one of the oldest active players, and he is not even in talks to retire at this point. 

While he keeps undergoing surgery after surgery, Woods is still not backing down from possibly returning to the course one day, or even winning another title.