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Next month, the Masters will once again open the golf season.
Barring any injuries, Tiger Woods could be on the hallowed grounds of Augusta National Golf Club trying to make it in pursuit of a 16th major championship.
In February, the 15-time major winner suggested he had not ruled out playing in this year’s Masters.
Woods’ history has been derailed by a long series of injuries and subsequent surgeries. In recent years, back problems have plagued the golf icon. Woods underwent a seventh back procedure last fall.
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Tiger Woods of Jupiter Links Golf Club waves to fans as he is introduced at the start of a match in the TMRW Golf League against Boston Common Golf on January 27, 2025 in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Although it’s been months since the surgery, he said he still experiences ongoing challenges that sometimes make it “hard to just move around.”
“Sometimes I have good days, sometimes I have bad days. Changing discs is not very fun,” Woods told Golf.com.
TIGER WOODS OFFERS FIRST PUBLIC COMMENTS SINCE RECENT BACK SURGERY AMID GROWING CONCERN OVER GOLF RETURN
Woods’ back problems first surfaced in 2014. October’s surgery marked the second back procedure for Woods in about a year. 12 months. Aside from his back problems, Woods also ruptured an Achilles tendon in early 2025.
Tiger Woods lines up a putt on the first green during The 150th Open at St Andrews Old Course on July 15, 2022m in St Andrews, Scotland. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Fellow golfer Will Zalatoris underwent a disc replacement procedure in 2025.
“[Zalatoris] went through it. He had two levels done and it takes time,” noted the 50-year-old. “So like I said, I’ve had a lot of procedures prior to that, so the body doesn’t heal completely like it did when I was 24.”
Tiger Woods of Jupiter Links Golf Club before a match against New York Golf Club at the SoFi Center on January 13, 2026 in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (Rich Storry/TGL/TGL Golf via Getty Images)
Woods told reporters that he is “trying to come back, but it just hasn’t worked out that way.” The five-time Masters champion also acknowledged his injury history, saying: “I’ve had a bad run of injuries last year … and then I’ve had two back surgeries so it’s been a bit tough.”
Woods made the cut at the 2025 Masters, but he missed the cut in last season’s three subsequent majors.
