In a recent press briefing preceding the Players Championship, Rory McIlroy, the second-ranked golfer globally, shared his insights into Tiger Woods’ long-term injury status. Woods, a 15-time major champion, made a public announcement about a severe Achilles rupture on March 11.
The golfing world has been eagerly awaiting Tiger Woods’ return to the Masters Tournament next month. However, this recent injury setback means Woods will not only miss the iconic Augusta event but likely several other tournaments as well. McIlroy, who was addressing the media for the first time since Woods’ injury revelation, suggested that golf enthusiasts might have to wait until 2026 to see Woods back in action.
“It sucks,” McIlroy responded when asked about Woods’ injury. He further added, “he doesn’t have much luck when it comes to injuries and his body. Obviously, he was trying to ramp up to get ready for Augusta, and Achilles surgeries aren’t fun. Hoping he’s in good spirits and hoping he’s doing okay.”
McIlroy went ahead to postulate the timeline for Woods’ recovery, stating, “We obviously won’t see him play golf this year, and hopefully we see him maybe play in 2026. He’ll try [to compete again]. I know he’ll try. But that’s a question for him, not for me. I obviously don’t know what’s in his head. But judging by prior behavior, he’ll definitely try.”
Woods’ last PGA Tour appearance was at the Open Championship in July. Since then, he’s been dealing with injuries and personal grief due to the loss of his mother. Despite these setbacks, he has been participating in weeknight TGL games with Max Homa, Kevin Kisner, and Tom Kim, representing the Jupiter Golf Links team. According to McIlroy, these matches were part of Woods’ preparation for his competitive golf comeback.
“He said he’d only touched a club three times or something, so I wouldn’t say he’d have been necessarily close. But he was obviously trying to get closer by ramping up and training and practicing and doing whatever he was doing. Yeah, I’d say he was trying to catch up on some lost time there,” McIlroy said.
With Woods’ return to competitive golf now severely delayed, fans might have to wait until the next TGL season to witness his mastery. Considering the first event this year was on January 7, a similar start date next season would give Woods just under 10 months to recover from this recent setback. Nonetheless, the golf world remains optimistic about Woods’ return, drawing from McIlroy’s prediction and Woods’ past resilience.
