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Tiger Woods has been giving plenty of signals lately that he plans to play in this year’s Masters.
He’s still working his way back from the 2025 back surgery and has also been managing an Achilles issue on top of that.
Speaking with reporters at Riviera last week, Woods stopped short of ruling out a return at Augusta. He said:
Even after such a long absence, Woods remains golf’s biggest attraction. Despite being away from the game for nearly two years, his presence still brings excitement to the sport.
Colt Knost shares his thoughts on whether Tiger Woods will play the Masters this year
Golf fans are getting increasingly excited about the possibility of Woods appearing at Augusta National in April.
Knost admitted: “If you would have asked me a couple of weeks ago, if I thought Tiger was gonna play, I’d say probably no.”
“I honestly am now leaning towards, yes.”
“I think there’s a better chance he plays than he doesn’t. Just seeing him move around out there, his attitude, just his, I don’t know, everything.”
“He just looks good right now, he’s going up and down the steps there on 18 at Riviera.”
“Walking is the biggest issue for him. And he said he’s been making full swings at home. They haven’t been great, but it’s Tiger Woods.”
“We got some time. We got six weeks until The Masters. I’m starting to think we’re going to see him tee it up.”
Tiger Woods: Why patience could be the key ahead of a Masters return
The main worry for fans of Tiger Woods is that he might come back to competitive play too soon and cause lasting damage to his back.
It’s happened before, including in 2024. Two years ago, he made a quick return for The Masters after pulling out of The Genesis Invitational just two months earlier.
That decision ended up making things worse, and he hasn’t played competitively since The Open Championship that same year.
The good news is that Tiger appears to be moving well at the moment, with no major pain reported and The Masters now two months away.
Walking without issue is important, especially considering how tough Augusta National can be on the body.
Even so, Woods should only commit if he feels fully ready. There will be other opportunities to compete at Augusta, but another premature comeback could make it hard for him to take part in any future events at all.
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