Tiger Woods eyes Masters return, future Ryder Cup captain role amid back surgery rehab
In less than two months, Tiger Woods could tee it up again at historic Augusta National.
The five-time Masters champion did not rule out a return to the major after skipping it last year. When reporters asked Tuesday if he could compete at the Masters in April, Woods replied without elaboration, "No."
Woods made the cut at the Masters for a record 24th time in a row in 2024. He is leaving the door open despite recovering from his seventh back surgery, a procedure to replace a disk, and a near-term schedule that does not appear to include competitive golf.
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"I thought I spent a lot of hours practicing in my prime," Woods said at the Genesis Invitational, alluding to the responsibilities he shares in trying to reshape the PGA Tour schedule. "It doesn’t compare to what we’ve done in the boardroom."
Woods’ workload will likely factor into whether he takes on the U.S. captaincy for the 2027 Ryder Cup in Ireland. He declined the role two years ago, citing a lack of time to commit to the job in a meaningful way.
Woods celebrated his 50th birthday at the end of last year, making him eligible for the PGA Tour Champions.
He missed every PGA Tour event last year, marking the first time in Woods' storied career that he did not compete in a single tournament. He also has yet to compete in the indoor TGL league.
"Well, I’m trying — put it that way," he said, adding that he can hit full shots but not every day "and not very well."
He had surgery in March 2025 for a ruptured Achilles tendon, which is no longer holding him back. He said his lower back was sore, and at his age, "It’s probably going to take me a little bit longer."
"My body has been through a lot," Woods said. "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."
His chief interest is indoors. He is on the board of the PGA Tour and the commercial PGA Tour Enterprises, heading the "Future Competition Committee" that is trying to create a model to meet CEO Brian Rolapp’s goal of fewer tournaments that are more meaningful for the best players.
The only thing clear is that a new model most likely won’t be ready by 2027. The committee has reached agreement on a big start to the season — that could be the week after or before the Super Bowl — taking the big events to bigger markets and becoming the must-see sport of the summer.
Woods also expressed his belief in the importance of creating a path for the next group of golf stars.
"We’re trying to create opportunities for that turnover ... to get more youth out here because eventually they’re going to take over the game," Woods said. "So trying to create that opportunity, trying to create the right competitive model and the environment to foster that, that’s been the greater challenge of it all."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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