Tiger Woods’ return to competitive golf has been anticipated by all golf fans for a long time. Due to health difficulties, the great golfer has been unable to take part in any form of competitive golf. In March 2025, he ruptured his left Achilles tendon, necessitating emergency surgery and considerably delaying his return to the game. This surgery has pushed him off track for a very long time.
The fifteen-time golf major winner was expected to return near the end of the 2025 season, but in October 2025, he underwent back surgery. Woods’ back has been a major issue throughout his career, and the October 2025 operation was his seventh back surgery. This time, he underwent a lumbar disc replacement due to mobility concerns. Due to this surgery, he is still out of the game and will not compete in the 2026 Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
The 2026 edition of the tournament begins on February 12 at Pebble Beach Golf Club in California, and Tiger Woods is still not fully cleared to compete in golf until then. The 82-time PGA Tour champion has been very busy recently, including his involvement in TGL season 2, in which he is not playing despite the fact that he is cleared for chipping and putting.
Tiger Woods also discussed his recovery during the Hero World Challenge in December 2025, stating that it had not been satisfactory. The golfer noted that the rehabilitation procedure is progressing gradually but slowly. According to Sky Sports, Woods claimed,
“It’s not as fast as I’d like it to be. It was a good thing to do, something I needed to happen; it just takes time and dedication to the rehab process. Unfortunately, I’ve been through this rehab process before, and it’s step-by-step. Once I get a feel for the recovery process, I can decide where and when to play.”
Apart from all this, Tiger Woods recently also discussed his return to competitive golf during the TGL season 2.
Tiger Woods claims that his return will take “some time”
Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods collaborated together to launch the TGL, a high-tech-infused golf league in 2025. The league has been a topic of curiosity for fans for quite some time, and season 2 is currently underway. Recently, on February 2, during a press conference, Woods was present alongside his team, which includes Akshay Bhatia, Kevin Kisner, and Max Homa, and there, one of the reporters asked him about his return timeline.
Woods stated that in the TGL, he does not have a certain return date and instead prefers to watch his team play, but in competitive golf, his comeback will take some time. According to Asap Sports, he explained,
“To what? Playing here? I don’t know. I like watching these guys. As far as competitive golf, it’s still some time.”
The last tournament appearance of Woods was the 2024 US Open, where he missed the cut after scoring 156 after 32 holes, 14 strokes over par.
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