Tiger Woods offers first public comments since his latest back surgery amid growing concern about golf’s return
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Tiger Woods’ quest for an elusive 16th major championship could one day resume, but it remains unclear when that will actually happen.
Woods’ 15 Major wins rank second on the all-time Major wins list, behind only Jack Nicklaus. But Woods’ storied career has been derailed by a long list of injuries and subsequent surgeries. In more recent years, backlog issues have plagued the golf icon. Earlier this fall, Woods underwent a seventh procedure to treat his back.
In his first public comments since the procedure, Woods shared his hopes of eventually returning. The five-time winner of the Masters Tournament also warned that there is no timetable for a possible return.
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Jupiter Links Golf Club’s Tiger Woods greets fans as he is introduced at the start of a TMRW Golf League match against Boston Common Golf on Jan. 27, 2025, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
“I’ve just started this process,” Woods said in a pre-tournament news conference at the Hero World Challenge. “Replacing a disk takes time. It’s longer; it’s not as long as a merger, thank God, but it will take time.”
Woods’ back problems first surfaced in 2014. The October surgery marked the second back procedure for Woods in a span of about 12 months.
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Aside from his back problems, Woods also tore his Achilles tendon earlier this year.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding his playing future, Woods revealed that he recently received clearance to chip and putt. The next step in your recovery is to regain your strength.
Tiger Woods plays his shot from the 13th tee during the second round of the Players Championship on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on May 11, 2018 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
Woods, 49, will be eligible to compete on the PGA Tour Champions starting in 2026. Tournaments on that circuit have three rounds and allow the use of a golf cart.
“I haven’t really delved into what the Champions Tour schedule is going to be like, except for a few tournaments,” Woods said.
Woods is not expected to be ready to compete when the TGL season begins.
Tiger Woods walks the second hole during a practice round before the start of the 2018 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 2, 2018, in Augusta, Georgia. (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Woods said he is taking a day-by-day approach.
“I’m looking forward to playing again. Let me do it and then I’ll decide what the schedule is going to be,” Woods said. “I’m a long way from that part and that kind of decision, that kind of level of commitment. Unfortunately, I’ve been through this rehab process before. It’s just step by step. Once I get the feeling of practicing, blowing up, playing, the recovery process, then I can evaluate where I’m going to play and how much I’m going to play.”
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Woods has been away from competitive golf since the Open Championship in July. The only time he made the cut this season was in April at the Masters. He missed the cut in the remaining three majors of the season.
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Chantz Martin is a sports writer for News Digital.