Trump suggests Tiger Woods will be at Augusta, but not in the field

According to talkSPORT’s article by Oliver Browning, Tiger Woods may still be part of Masters week at Augusta National, just not as a player. The report said Woods had recently spoken about trying to build toward a return after making his first competitive appearance in months at the TGL final, but Trump’s remarks on Fox News’ The Five pointed in a different direction and suggested the five time Masters champion will be present without joining the field.

Woods, now 50, had given fans some reason to believe a comeback remained possible. As talkSPORT reported, he said he had been doing what he could to prepare himself physically, even while acknowledging that recovery is far more difficult than it was earlier in his career. He also indicated that he planned to attend Rory McIlroy’s Champions Dinner, which added to speculation that he could still find a way to tee it up at Augusta National if progress continued.

Trump’s comment shifts the picture

According to talkSPORT, Trump appeared to offer the clearest indication yet that Woods will not play in the tournament. Speaking on Fox News’ The Five, he said, “I love Tiger, but he won't be there,” before adding, “He'll be there, but he won't be playing in it.” As reported by talkSPORT, Trump did not explain how he knew that, but the comment quickly changed the tone around Woods’ Masters prospects.

That matters because Woods himself had not publicly shut the door in such firm terms. His recent remarks left the impression that he was still evaluating his condition and seeing whether enough improvement could be made in time. Trump’s statement, at least as cited by talkSPORT, made the situation sound much more settled, even if there has been no broader explanation of where that information came from.

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Woods is back competing, but only in small steps

According to talkSPORT’s report by Oliver Browning, Woods returned to competition earlier this week in Jupiter Links GC’s TGL finals defeat to Los Angeles Golf Club. He played alongside Tom Kim and Max Homa, with the team losing 9,2 to Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood and Sahith Theegala in the SoFi Cup finale. The outing was brief, and talkSPORT noted that Woods had only nine swings during the match, but it still represented another small step in his recovery.

Afterward, Woods admitted the result was one sided, saying, “We got our a** kicked at the end,” and added that it felt good to be back even if he would have preferred better circumstances. Those comments reflected both sides of his current situation, the competitiveness that still drives him, and the physical limitations that continue to shape every decision about when and where he can play.

Why Augusta still draws so much attention

The possibility of a Masters return carries extra weight because Augusta National has often been the place where Woods has produced some of the defining moments of his career. Even the hint that he might appear in the field is enough to trigger intense interest, especially after such a long stretch of injuries and rehabilitation. His last outdoor start came at The Open Championship in July 2024, where he missed the cut, and since then every competitive appearance has been watched for signs of what might come next.

According to talkSPORT, Woods has been working his way back after back surgery in October 2025 and after previously suffering a torn Achilles in March 2025. That history helps explain why his TGL appearance was viewed as encouraging, but not necessarily as proof that he was ready for the demands of walking and competing over four rounds at Augusta National. For now, Trump’s remark has lowered expectations, and the likeliest scenario appears to be that Woods will be part of the week in attendance rather than as a contender in the tournament itself.

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Sources: talkSPORT, Oliver Browning, citing Fox News’ The Five

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