Category: Spine | Author: Stefano Sinicropi | Date: March 30, 2026
Golf’s most prestigious tournament is only a few weeks away, and many are wondering if Tiger Woods, perhaps the most recognizable face in today’s game, will make a triumphant return to Augusta National to compete in this year’s Masters tournament. As it stands, it appears that the health of his spine will dictate that fate.
Woods has faced plenty of injuries over his storied career, but the last couple years have been particularly challenging. He underwent lumbar disc replacement surgery in October and ruptured his Achilles last March. Although he believes he’s recovered from the Achilles surgery, Woods noted that it’s the spine surgery that’s making it difficult to return to competitive golf.
“It’s just sore. It takes time,” said Woods. “[Will Zalatoris] went through it, and it took him a while to come back. I’m a little bit older than [him]. It’s probably going to take me a little bit longer.”
Could Tiger Return For The Masters?
The Masters tournament has always held a special place in Tiger’s heart. He’s donned the champion’s recognizable green jacket five times, second most all time behind the great Jack Nicklaus. Woods is also in Masters history as the youngest champion, winning his first Master tournament at the age of 21. That same tournament he set the record for largest margin of victory, winning by an incredible 12 strokes.
Despite his recent run of injuries, Woods has always made a point to play at Augusta National if at all possible. He made 19 consecutive appearances at the Masters from 1995-2013, but injuries forced him to miss the tournament five times since 2013, including last year. If he’s going to return to the PGA tour this season, you can bet that the goal will be to play in this year’s Master’s tournament. Despite his best efforts, Woods acknowledged that his back and his whole body have faced numerous challenges over the years.
“My body has been through a lot,” said Woods. “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.”
Some have suggested that Woods could file for an exemption that would allow him to compete while riding in a golf cart, as even walking 72 holes over the course of a tournament has proven challenging for him at times, but Woods said that’s not something he’s considering on the PGA Tour. That said, now that he’s 50 years old and qualifies for the Champions Tour where carts are allowed, he may consider it during those events.
“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,” Woods said. “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 an opportunity.”
While we’d all like to see a 50-year-old Tiger Woods compete in another Masters tournament, the reality is that it’s going to be extremely difficult for Woods to overcome all his back issues. He’s had seven documented spinal procedures to address different issues over the years (back pain, nerve problems, structural issues, disc herniations, etc.), and the reality is that every swing is going to put significant strain on his spine. Combine that with the fact that a golfer’s swing needs to be incredibly precise in order to compete with the world’s best golfers on golf’s biggest stage, and it seems doubtful that Woods will want to put all that wear and tear on his recovering spine if it’s extremely unlikely he’d compete for the cut line, let alone the green jacket. We hope that he can overcome his spine troubles and make one more run at tying Jack Nicklaus’ record, but it seems pretty far-fetched that it will happen in 2026, or possibly ever again.
We wish Woods all the best in his recovery, and if you’re finding that back pain is making it difficult or impossible for you to enjoy a round of golf, connect with Dr. Sinicropi and the team at Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today. For more information, give us a call at (651) 430-3800.
Related
