{"id":496456,"date":"2026-02-22T09:00:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-22T09:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/496456\/"},"modified":"2026-02-22T09:00:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T09:00:12","slug":"tiger-woods-hints-he-could-return-at-the-masters-as-golf-legend-50-recovers-from-seventh-back-surgery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/496456\/","title":{"rendered":"Tiger Woods hints he could RETURN at the Masters as golf legend, 50, recovers from seventh back surgery"},"content":{"rendered":"

By DANIEL MATTHEWS, US SENIOR SPORTS WRITER<\/a> <\/a> <\/p>\n

Published: 17:32 EST, 21 February 2026 | Updated: 18:24 EST, 21 February 2026 <\/p>\n

Tiger Woods<\/a> has teased golf fans by dropping another hint that he could make a stunning return at the Masters<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The 50-year-old underwent a seventh back surgery in October and is also recovering from a torn Achilles sustained last March. Those latest injuries to his battered body sparked more fears over whether Woods would ever return to competitive golf.<\/p>\n

On Saturday, he joined the CBS broadcasting crew during the third round of the Genesis Invitational, a tournament he hosts at Riviera Country Club in California<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Woods was asked if\u00a0there is a possibility he could play at Augusta National in April. ‘There is,’ the 15-time major champion told CBS announcers Jim Nantz and Trevor Immelman.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘I know I’ll be there… Trev and I are going to be part of a great dinner,’ Woods joked in reference to the annual Champions Dinner.\u00a0‘I know a lot of people that are playing.’<\/p>\n

When pressed on whether he would play a tournament before the Masters, Woods admitted: ‘I don’t know. Whether it’s regular tour, senior tour, or member-guest, I don’t know!’<\/p>\n

\"Tiger <\/p>\n

Tiger Woods is a 15-time major winner and has won the Masters five times across his career<\/p>\n

The 50-year-old is a five-time Masters champion, most recently in 2019, and he recently revealed that he is back to hitting full shots.<\/p>\n

‘I don’t feel 50 – I feel a hell of a lot older,’ Woods joked to CBS.\u00a0‘It’s good to be back a little bit, I just wish I could be out here this week playing with these guys.’\u00a0<\/p>\n

This is not the first time he has hinted at a possible return at Augusta. Earlier this week<\/a>, Woods said an appearance is not off the table. But the last time the 15-time major champion played an official event was at the 2024 Open\u00a0<\/a>Championship\u00a0at Royal Troon.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘I’m trying, put it that way,’ he said on Tuesday. ‘The disc replacement has been one thing. I’ve had a fused back and now a disc replacement, so it’s challenging.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘And now I entered a new decade, so that number is starting to sink in and has us thinking about the opportunity to be able to play in a cart.<\/p>\n

‘That’s something that, as I said, I won’t do out here on this tour because I don’t believe in it. But on the Champions Tour, that’s certainly that opportunity.’<\/p>\n

Woods, who also said he is considering taking on the role of Ryder Cup captain for the United States in 2027,\u00a0added:\u00a0‘My body has been through a lot… each and every day I keep trying, I keep progressing, trying to get it to a level that I can play at the highest level.’\u00a0<\/p>\n

Woods’ son Charlie, 17, recently took a huge step on his own golf journey when he committed to Florida State University.\u00a0‘It’s a big moment,’ Woods Snr said on CBS on Saturday, revealing that ‘it was a very difficult decision’ for his son.<\/p>\n

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\n Tiger Woods hints he could RETURN at the Masters as golf legend, 50, recovers from seventh back surgery<\/p>\n