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, appearing, but not competing, in the TGL, the indoor golf league 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?
Well, it depends on what your definition is. Woods is heavily invested, both financially and emotionally, in the TGL, an indoor golf league founded with McIlroy in 2022.
Woods is an owner and player of the Jupiter Links Golf Club, but has so far sat out the 2026 season, maintaining a presence in a supporting capacity, with Max Homa, Tom Kim and Kevin Kisner featuring.
But Woods will be part of the virtual golf league’s play-offs on the evening of Tuesday, 24 March, with the play-offs and the second match in the best-of-three final against Los Angeles Golf Club, which features Collin Morikawa, Sahith Theegala, Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood.
Should the Jupiter Links Golf Club win match two, after losing the first match 5-6, they would force a third match on Wednesday 25 March, which Woods would likely also play in.
Following match three, Woods would have just over 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?
Speaking last month, Woods said that competing at The Masters is “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.
