Tiger Woods gives major update on Masters return

March 19, 2026 Oliver Obel

Tiger Woods says he is still working toward a return but stopped short of confirming whether he will play at the Masters next month, as uncertainty continues to surround his fitness.

With the 2026 Masters set to begin in April, much of the early attention has focused on Woods’ potential appearance at Augusta National, even as defending champion Rory McIlroy prepares to return as one of the favorites.

Woods, a five-time Masters winner, has not competed at Augusta since 2023, when he made the cut for a 24th consecutive time and finished 60th. He missed the 2025 tournament while recovering from multiple injuries.

Speaking recently while involved with his Jupiter Links team in the TGL indoor golf league, Woods offered an honest assessment of his physical condition but did not commit to a timeline.

“I said I’ve been working on it. Sometimes I have good days, sometimes I have bad days. Disk replacement is not a lot of fun,” Woods said.

He added: “I’ve had a lot of procedures prior to that, so the body doesn’t quite heal like it was when I was 24. It doesn’t bounce back the same. Some days I feel like I can do anything, and other days it’s hard just to move around.”

According to SportsBible, Woods underwent lumbar disk replacement surgery in October 2025 after rupturing his left Achilles earlier in the year, factors that continue to complicate his recovery.

While he has yet to return to regular competition, Woods has remained involved in the TGL league, taking on a leadership role with Jupiter Links. The team recently secured a playoff spot and defeated Boston Common, led by McIlroy, to reach the finals.

Asked whether he might feature in the upcoming final against Los Angeles, Woods again declined to make any guarantees.

“I’ve been trying to play each and every one of these matches,” he said. “I’ve been trying to come back, but it just hasn’t worked out that way.

“But the guys on this team are having so much fun, I don’t want to disrupt that. I’d rather let them keep playing.”

Whether Woods ultimately tees it up at Augusta remains unclear, but his potential return would immediately become one of the defining storylines of this year’s tournament.

Sources: SportsBible, TGL, Masters Tournament