When will Tiger Woods return? This is one of the most glaring questions in professional golf. The last time fans witnessed Woods play a traditional golf tournament was The Open Championship in 2024. Since then, the 15-time Major champion has been plagued by injuries, which have kept him away from the sport.
However, with The Players Championship 2026 set to commence on Thursday, the question now is whether Woods will play in the tournament. The answer to this question is no. The 50-year-old professional golf legend is not in the field for The Players, unlike other big names such as Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and Brooks Koepka.
While The Players Championship has some big names like the ones mentioned above, Tiger Woods’ absence will be felt for yet another edition of this tournament. After all, apart from being one of the most famous golfers in the world, Woods is also a 2-time Players Championship winner.
The first time Woods won this competition was in 2001, when he beat Vijay Singh by a single stroke. Later, he won his second Players Championship 12 years later, in 2013, by beating David Lingmerth, Jeff Maggert, and Kevin Streelman by 2 strokes.
Tiger Woods dropped a major hint about his return to golf earlier this year
Tiger Woods might not be playing professional golf, but the golfer has been spotted on the golf course on several occasions. One such occasion was when Woods hosted The Genesis Invitational in 2026. Before that tournament could begin, Woods conducted a press conference in which he addressed several issues.
One such issue was about his return to professional golf. A reporter at the press conference asked Woods if The Masters 2026 was off the table for him based on his recovery. What Woods said in response to this question will delight many golf fans. The 82-time PGA Tour winner said, “No,” followed by a trademark Tiger Woods smile.
If Woods returns to compete at The Masters 2026, it will make a lot of fans happy. Even though Woods is way past his prime and probably at a stage where a comeback might seem impossible, the truth is that if there is any golfer who can rise to the top from Woods’ situation, then it’s Woods himself.
Also, a return to The Masters would be fitting because Woods has won The Masters on five occasions. As a matter of fact, the last Major Championship he won was The Masters at Augusta in 2019, a comeback that no sports fan will ever forget.
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