Tiger Woods isn’t ready to rule out Augusta National just yet.With the Masters less than two months away, the five-time champion stopped short of turning down a return, even though his days are currently dominated more by boardroom strategy sessions than practice rounds.
Speaking Tuesday at the Genesis Invitational, Woods acknowledged that his playing future remains uncertain after his seventh back surgery – a disc replacement procedure last October. When asked directly if the Masters, which starts on April 9, was off the table, his answer was short and sweet:
“No.”
It was vintage Woods – guarded, but not definitive.
At 50, Woods is eligible for the PGA Tour Champions, but has not yet set a timeline for his return to competition. He has yet to compete in TGL’s indoor competitions and admitted that while he can hit full shots, it is not consistent.
“I try to put it this way,” Woods said. “I can hit it, but not every day and not very well.”
Last year was the first season of his professional career in which he did not participate in a single tournament. A torn Achilles tendon will keep him out until 2025, although he says injury no longer limits him. The bigger concern is his back – and the reality of recovery at age 50.
“My body has been through a lot,” Woods said. “Every day I keep trying, I keep making progress, trying to get stronger, trying to build endurance to get it to a level where I can compete at the highest level again.”
While his competitive future remains in flux, Woods has thrown himself into reshaping the future of the PGA Tour.
As a board member of both the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Enterprises, Woods chairs the Future Competition Committee, a group charged with building a more streamlined, high-impact competitive model. CEO Brian Rolapp has emphasized a schedule with fewer tournaments but greater interest for top players.
The new model likely won’t debut before 2027, but discussions are accelerating. Among the proposals: launching the season around the Super Bowl, hosting major events in larger markets and potentially moving high-profile West Coast stops — including Riviera and Torrey Pines — to August as part of a postseason format.
“We look at things like that,” Woods said. “How can we improve our competitive model?”
He confirmed that moving the Genesis Invitational to late summer is “certainly on the table.”
Amid these dramatic changes, Woods says the broader goal is to create opportunities for the next generation.
“We are trying to create that turnover,” he says. “Eventually they will take over the game.”
Then there’s the Ryder Cup.
Woods turned down the US captaincy two years ago due to time constraints. The 2027 matches in Ireland remain undecided territory for him. The PGA of America previously postponed the appointment of a captain for the 2025 matches at Bethpage Black pending his decision before ultimately selecting Keegan Bradley.
Now Woods remains non-committal.
“I haven’t made my decision yet,” he said. “I’m trying to figure out what we’re doing with our tour and if I can give Team USA and the Ryder Cup the time it deserves.”
For now, Woods’ future involves equal parts rehabilitation, reinvention and reflection. A return to Augusta is not promised, but not ruled out either.
And with Tiger, that’s usually enough to keep the golf world watching.
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