Tiger Woods continues to edge closer to a competitive return to golf with intrigue surrounding a potential appearance at The Masters this month.
As Rory McIlroy bids to defend his title and win another green jacket, Augusta could also feature Woods, a five-time winner at the iconic major championship.
Woods last played in a professional tournament in The Open at Royal Troon in 2024, but has since been contending with another back surgery, with his latest treatment in October replacing a disc.
The 50-year-old has also undergone intense rehabilitation following a ruptured Achilles tendon last spring, and played for the first time in the virtual golf league, TGL, which he co-founded with McIlroy.
And despite a lack of practice, Woods has teased a potential return at The Masters, which begins on 9 April. Here’s what we know about Woods’ condition and when he might feature with a club in his hands on the golf course or indoor simulator:
When could Woods play golf again?
Woods is heavily invested, both financially and emotionally, in the TGL, an indoor golf league founded with McIlroy in 2022.
As an owner and player of the Jupiter Links Golf Club, he made his first appearance of the 2026 season, substituting in for Kevin Kisner to join Max Homa and Tom Kim to play on Tuesday, 24 March against Los Angeles Golf Club, with their squad made up of Collin Morikawa, Sahith Theegala, Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood.
Following the match, Woods now has two weeks before the first round of the 2026 Masters on Thursday, 9 April.
What has Woods said about his condition and desire to play competitive golf again?
Woods competed in the TGL Finals for Jupiter Links, going down 2-0 in the series, but he provided an update on his plans over the coming days and a decision on Augusta.
“It was fine physically,” Woods said. “I had a couple of drives I had to hit and a couple of putts… it was a lot of fun to be a part of it.
“We got our a*** kicked at the end. Three eagles in a row, we didn’t respond. I missed a short one to kind of get it started and give them momentum and we never got it back.
“I’m frustrated that we didn’t get it done, we had opportunities like last night – we should have won that match – and they steam-rolled us at the end.”
That came after Woods spoke last month, underlining that an appearance at The Masters was “not off the table”, adding: “It’s just one of those things where it’s 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.
“As far as the disc replacement goes, it’s just sore. It takes time. My body has been through a lot. Disc replacement isn’t fun. I’ve had a fused back and now a disc replacement, so it’s challenging.”
What does Woods need to play in The Masters?
As a past champion, Woods has a lifetime exemption into the tournament, meaning he was under no pressure to qualify in the build-up to this month’s edition.
That said, he will want to prove to himself that he is physically able to endure four, should he make the cut, gruelling rounds of golf.
That is why merely swinging the club in the TGL, the simulator-based format, might not be enough to convince Woods himself that he can tee it up at Augusta.
The virtual golf league can’t replicate one of the tougher walks in golf, with Augusta’s undulating fairways proving a challenge in the past for Woods.
