Will Tiger Woods Ever Play Competitive Golf Again?

• Tiger Woods is back chipping and putting, but says he’s “a ways away” from figuring out when he will play competitive golf again.
• Woods is recovering from his seventh back surgery, and missed all of 2025 due to Achilles surgery.
• There is a good chance Woods won’t play in 2026, and the future is unclear.

Tiger Woods announced that he was chipping and putting again after his seventh back surgery, but he doesn’t know when he’ll play competitive golf once more.

The 15-time major winner may miss all of 2026, and the future is a mystery for Woods.

Woods Will Host, But Not Play, in the Hero World Challenge

Woods spoke to reporters on Tuesday before the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas. The 49-year-old will host the tournament, but not tee it up.

He was asked if he would play on the Champions Tour in 2026, and Woods said:

"No, I'm just looking forward to just [getting] back to playing again. Let me do that, and then I'll kind of figure out what the schedule is going to be. I'm a ways away from that part of it and that type of decision, that type of commitment level."

Woods, who has won 82 times on the PGA Tour, is eligible to play on the Champions Tour on December 30, when he turns 50. He had his seventh back surgery on October 10, but Woods also missed all of 2025 as he injured his Achilles in March.

While he is missing the Hero World Challenge, Woods also said that he’ll skip the PNC Championship later this month. He usually plays that tournament with his son, Charlie. The two have finished second at the tournament twice, but this will be the first time they haven’t participated since 2019, when Charlie was 11. Charlie also recently made the Rolex Junior All-America First Team.

The older Woods will likely also miss the Masters, and he’ll at least miss the beginning of the TGL golf season.

You won’t find Woods among any of the best golf picks this week. But when could we see Woods play competitive golf again?

Is There a Chance We See Tiger Woods Playing Golf Ever Again?

There is always a chance that Woods can recover, but between age and injuries, we’ll never see him at his best again. He’s had at least 12 surgeries in his career, and that’s just what is public. The PGA Tour probably isn’t feasible for Woods, who last completed four rounds at the Masters, where he finished 60^th. He also missed the cut at the PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and British Open.

The best bet is that Woods plays on the Champions Tour, which allows you to use a golf cart. That would help take stress off Woods’ body; at least five of those surgeries have happened on his legs. Woods can still hit golf shots, but walking is tough for the soon-to-be-50-year-old.

He has been skeptical of playing on the Champions Tour, but Woods is wildly competitive. He also has to be realistic about his chances to win on the PGA Tour.

But again, don’t count out the great Tiger Woods in trying to take on a generation of players he inspired, at least one last time!