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Next month, the Masters will once again open golf’s major season.
Barring any injury setbacks, Tiger Woods could be on the hallowed grounds of Augusta National Golf Club, trying to make the cut 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’ storied career has been derailed by a long list of injuries and subsequent surgeries. In more recent years, back issues 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 of the TMRW Golf League against Boston Common Golf Jan. 27, 2025, in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Although months have passed since the surgery, he said he still experiences ongoing challenges, which sometimes make it “hard to just move around.”
“Sometimes I have good days, sometimes I have bad days. Disc replacement is not a lot of fun,” Woods told Golf.com.
Woods’ back troubles first surfaced in 2014. October’s surgery marked the second back procedure for Woods in a roughly 12-month span. Aside from his back troubles, 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 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,” the 50-year-old noted. “So, as I said, I’ve had a lot of procedures prior to that, so the body doesn’t quite heal like it did when I was 24.”
Tiger Woods of the Jupiter Links Golf Club before a match against the New York Golf Club at SoFi Center Jan. 13, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (Rich Storry/TGL/TGL Golf via Getty Images)
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Woods told reporters 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 operations, so it’s been a little rough go.”
Woods made the cut at the 2025 Masters, but he missed the cut in last season’s three subsequent major tournaments.
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