Tiger Woods keeps door open on Masters despite recent back surgery

Tiger Woods can restore balance at historic Augusta National in less than two months.

The five-time Masters champion has not ruled out a return to the big league after skipping it last year. When reporters asked Tuesday if he might compete in the Masters in April, Woods answered “No,” without elaborating much.

Woods makes his record-breaking 24th consecutive Masters appearance in 2024. He’s leaving the door open despite his recovery from a seventh back surgery, a disc replacement procedure and a short-term schedule that doesn’t appear to include competitive golf.

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“I thought I was spending a lot of hours practicing in my prime,” Woods said at the Genesis Invitational, referring to the responsibilities he shares as he tries to reshape the PGA Tour schedule. “This doesn’t compare to what we do in the boardroom.”

Woods’ workload will likely factor into whether he will captain the United States at the 2027 Ryder Cup in Ireland. He turned down the assignment two years ago, claiming he didn’t have time to devote himself to the job in a meaningful way.

TIGER WOODS PROVIDES FIRST PUBLIC COMMENT SINCE HIS LATEST BACK SURGERY AMONG INCREASING CONCERNS ABOUT GOLF’S RETURN

Woods celebrated his 50th birthday at the end of last year and qualified for the PGA Tour Champions.

He missed all PGA Tour events last year, marking the first time in Woods’ storied career that he did not compete in a single tournament. He has also not yet competed in the indoor TGL league.

“Well, that’s what I’m trying to say,” he said, adding that he can shoot the full shot but can’t do it every day “and he’s not very good at it.”

Tiger Woods celebrates during the trophy presentation after winning the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 14, 2019 in Augusta, Georgia. (Allen Eyestone/Augusta Chronicle)

In March 2025, he had surgery for a ruptured Achilles tendon that was no longer holding him back. He said his lower back hurts, and at his age, “It’ll probably take a little longer.”

“My body has been through a lot,” Woods said. “I keep trying every day, I keep improving, I keep working on it, I try to get stronger, I try to get more endurance in this body and I try to get it back to the level where I can play at the highest level.”

His main area of ​​interest is the interior. He sits on the board of directors of the PGA Tour and commercial PGA Tour Enterprises and chairs the “Future Competition Committee,” which is trying to create a model for achieving CEO Brian Rolapp’s goal of fewer tournaments that are more meaningful for top players.

Tiger Woods of Jupiter Links Golf Club waves to fans as he is introduced at the start of his TMRW Golf League (TGL) match against Boston Common Golf on Monday, January 27, 2025 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

The only thing that’s clear is that a new model probably won’t be ready until 2027. The committee agreed to get the season off to a big start (which could be the week after or before the Super Bowl) and make it the must-see sport of the summer by moving major events to larger markets.

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Woods also expressed his belief in the importance of creating a path for the next crop of golf stars.

“We’re trying to create opportunities for that turnover… to get more young guys in 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 environment to foster that, was a bigger challenge than anything else.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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