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Next month, the Masters will once again open golf’s main season.
Barring any injury setbacks, Tiger Woods could be on the hallowed grounds of Augusta National Golf Club, trying to make the cut in search of his 16th major championship.
In February, the 15-time Major winner suggested he had not ruled out playing in this year’s Masters.
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. Woods underwent a seventh procedure on his back last fall.
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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)
Although it’s been months since the surgery, he said he still experiences ongoing challenges, which sometimes make it “hard to just move.”
“Sometimes I have good days, sometimes I have bad days. Replacing discs is not a lot of fun,” Woods told Golf.com.
TIGER WOODS OFFERS FIRST PUBLIC COMMENTS SINCE LAST BACK SURGERY AMID GROWING CONCERN ABOUT GOLF’S RETURN
Woods’ back problems first surfaced in 2014. The October surgery marked the second back procedure for Woods in a span of about 12 months. Aside from his back problems, Woods also ruptured an Achilles tendon in early 2025.
Tiger Woods lines up a putt on the first green during the 150th Open at St Andrews Old Course on July 15, 2022 in St Andrews, Scotland. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Fellow golfer Will Zalatoris underwent a disc replacement procedure in 2025.
“[Zalatoris] went through that. They did two levels and it takes time,” the 50-year-old said. “So, like I said, I had a lot of procedures before that, so the body doesn’t fully heal like it did when I was 24.”
Tiger Woods of Jupiter Links Golf Club before a match against New York Golf Club at SoFi Center on January 13, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (Rich Story/TGL/TGL Golf via Getty Images)
Woods told reporters that “he’s trying to come back, but it just hasn’t worked out that way.” The five-time Masters champion also acknowledged his injury history, saying: “I had a bad run of injuries last year… and then I had two back surgeries, so it’s been a little tough.”
Woods made the cut at the 2025 Masters, but missed the cut in the three subsequent major tournaments last season.
