Tiger Woods Is 50 And Recovering From Major Back Surgery. He Won't Rule Out Playing In 2026 Masters

Tiger Woods turned 50 successful December.

He’s 4 months removed from disk replacement room successful his little backmost — nan aforesaid backmost that has endured six different operations, including spinal fusion successful 2017.

Woods won’t beryllium taking portion successful this week’s Genesis Invitational, a tourney he has hosted since 2020, arsenic he continues to retrieve from that procedure. The 15-time awesome title victor told reporters astatine Riviera Country Club connected Tuesday that he has been capable to commencement taking afloat play shots during his training.

Still, nan 2026 Masters tourney is little than 2 months away. So considering everything mentioned above, it would look beautiful improbable that Woods would beryllium fresh to compete successful nan first awesome title of nan year.

Right?

Well, a newsman asked Woods rather simply, “Is nan Masters disconnected nan array for you?”

Woods gave an moreover simpler answer.

“No,” he said without hesitation aliases further elaboration. He did springiness a flimsy grin aft a little pause, for what that’s worth.

It should travel arsenic nary astonishment that Woods would beryllium doing everything he tin to beryllium capable to play April 9-12 astatine Augusta National. He has won nan arena 5 times, most precocious successful 2019.

Woods famously played successful nan 2022 Masters conscionable 14 months aft a catastrophic rollover car accident — and really made nan trim earlier finishing astatine 13-over par. He past played nan Masters successful 2024, making nan trim for a grounds 24th clip but vanished pinch a 16-over 304, his highest 72-hole score.

Woods missed each of nan 2025 play arsenic he recovered from a backmost room nan erstwhile twelvemonth and room for a ruptured Achilles tendon successful March. He said Tuesday connected nan aggregate challenges he faces successful attempting to return to nan PGA Tour and besides brought up nan anticipation of playing connected nan PGA Champions circuit.

“The disc replacement has been 1 thing. It’s been a situation to person had a fused backmost and now a disc replacement. So it’s challenging,” said Woods, who added that his backmost is still sore pursuing nan astir caller procedure.

“And I entered a caller decade. So that number is starting to descend successful and has [me] reasoning astir nan opportunity to beryllium capable to play successful a cart. That’s thing that, arsenic I’ve said, I won’t do retired present connected this tour, because I don’t judge successful it. But you know, connected nan Champions tour, that’s surely an opportunity.”