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Next month, the Masters will once again open the great golf season.
Barring injuries, Tiger Woods could be on the hallowed grounds of Augusta National Golf Club, trying to qualify in pursuit of a 16th major championship.
In February, the 15-time major winner hinted that he had not ruled out competing in this year’s Masters.
Woods’ storied career was disrupted by a long list of injuries and subsequent surgeries. In recent years, old-fashioned problems have plagued the golf icon. Woods underwent a seventh back surgery last fall.
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Tiger Woods of Jupiter Links Golf Club greets fans as he is introduced at the start of a TMRW Golf League match against Boston Common Golf on January 27, 2025, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Although months have passed since the surgery, he said he still faces constant challenges, which sometimes make it “difficult to get around.”
“Sometimes I have good days, sometimes I have bad days. Replacing the disc is not much fun,” Woods told Golf.com.
TIGER WOODS OFFERS FIRST PUBLIC COMMENTS SINCE LATEST BACK SURGERY AMID GROWING CONCERN ABOUT GOLF’S RETURN
Woods’ back problems first emerged in 2014. The October surgery marked the second back procedure for Woods in about 12 months. In addition to his back problems, Woods also ruptured an Achilles tendon in early 2025.
Tiger Woods lines up on the first green during the 150th Open at the 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] I’ve been there. He’s had two levels and it takes time,” the 50-year-old said. “So like I said, I’ve had a lot of procedures before this, so the body doesn’t quite 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 Storry/TGL/TGL Golf via Getty Images)
Woods told reporters he was “trying to come back, but it just didn’t work out that way.” The five-time Masters champion also acknowledged his injury history, saying: “I had a series of injuries last year… and then I had two back surgeries, so it was a little tough.”
Woods made the cut at the 2025 Masters, but he missed the cut at three subsequent majors last season.
