Tiger Woods Addresses Masters Status After TGL Return

Fifteen-time major champion Tiger Woods said he's "been trying" to work playing in the 2026 Masters Tournament after making his official return to competitive golf during Match 2 of the TGL Final Tuesday (March 24) night.

“I’ve been trying,” Woods said via Golf Week's Cameron Jourdan. “This body just doesn’t recover like it was when it was 24, 25. It doesn’t mean I’m not trying; I’ve been trying for a while. I’ve had a couple of bad injuries here over the past year, I’ve had to fight through, and it’s taking some time, but I keep trying.

Woods, 50, who has won the Masters Tournament five times, was then asked if he would make a decision the Friday before the tournament begins on April 9.

“I don’t know, we’ll see how it goes. I’ll be practicing and playing at home this week, and keep trying to make progress,” Woods said.

Woods joined his Jupiter Links teammates in the decisive Match 2 loss to Los Angeles after sitting out the entire TGL season while recovering from back surgery he underwent in October. Last month, Woods responded, "no," when asked if a Masters appearance was off the table, but wouldn't commit to a playing timetable while addressing reporters at a news conference at Riviera Country Club, where he hosted the Genesis Invitational.

Woods had previously announced that he underwent a "minimally-invasive Achilles tendon repair for a ruptured tendon" after experiencing "a sharp pain" in his left Achilles last March. The golf legend has dealt with several injuries in recent years, which included a near-death car accident that took place in February 2021.

Woods underwent multiple surgeries on the injuries suffered in the single-vehicle accident, which included open fractures to both his tibia and fibula bones. Woods, widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential golfers of all-time ranks second all-time behind only Nicklaus (18) in career majors and has 82 PGA Tour victories, tied with Sam Snead for the most all-time.