Tiger Woods has declared he’s “trying” to play The Masters, nearly two years since he made his last competitive outing.
Hopes the Big Cat would return to Augusta have been lifted by his participation in he TGL league, but he has remained largely non-committal on whether or not he would play in golf’s biggest tournament, which is now only a fortnight away.
“I’ve been trying, this body doesn’t recover like it did when I was 24, 25,” Woods said this week.
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“It doesn’t mean I’m not trying; I’ve been trying for a while. I’ve had a couple of bad injuries last year that I’ve had to fight through and has taken some time. I keep trying – I want to play.
Tiger Woods hasn’t played a tournament since 2024. TGL Golf via Getty Images
“I’ve loved the Masters tournament, I’ve loved being there since I was 19 years old, so it’s meant a lot to me and my family over the years and I’m going to be there either way.”
Woods has five wins at Augusta – only Jack Nicklaus has more – his most recent the fairytale comeback win in 2019. Since then, he’s finished in a tie for 38th – when the tournament was played in November – 47th, and 60th in his last appearance in 2024. He withdrew in the third round in 2023.
Augusta was the only tournament in which he made the cut in 2024. He only played the four majors and withdrew from the Genesis Invitational. His last tournament was at The Open at Royal Troon.
In fact, repeated injuries and surgeries have meant Woods has barely been competitive since that 2019 Masters victory. He won the Zozo Classic in Yokohama that October, and a ninth place at Torrey Pines in January 2020 was his most recent finish in the top-20 in any tournament.
Woods claimed a fifth Masters crown in 2019. Getty
Woods has spoken openly about his injury struggles and the difficulties he faces playing in tournaments. Rules dictate players must walk, and given the length of Augusta and its undulating landscape, the Georgia venue is one of the most difficult walks in golf.
So it begs the question – is it time to call it a day?
The Masters is The Masters. Tickets are guaranteed to sell out, and fans are sure to tune in regardless of whether or not Woods is playing.
And it’s not like he needs the money. He still has multi-million dollar endorsement deals with Bridgestone and TaylorMade among others.
At what point does a limping Tiger, battling to make the cut in tournaments he once owned, start to hurt his legacy?
Most golf fans would love to see Tiger in contention. It would be a comeback worthy of a big-budget Hollywood blockbuster that would without doubt eventually be shot.
But what does he have left to prove? He’s 50! There’s no shame in retiring.
It’s not only Tiger facing this scenario. Winning the Masters guarantees you an invitation back every year, and several players have done exactly that.
Jose Maria Olazabal has two green jackets – his most recent in 1999. He’s missed the cut in 11 of his last 15 Masters appearances, and was last competitive in 2006. He will play this year.
Sandy Lyle won his green jacket in 1988 and then played every year until 2023. His last cut was in 2014.
Given entry to The Masters is by invite only (although there are minimum qualifying criteria) and the Augusta field is the smallest of the four majors, it’s hard to make the argument they’re taking the spot of someone more likely to win. Of course, they’ve earned the right to be there just by virtue of being previous winners.
But watching Tiger struggle with the physical demands of walking the Augusta course is undignified. He doesn’t need it and nor does the sport of golf.