Tiger Woods provides latest update on his game ahead of PGA Tour comeback

The good news is that Tiger Woods is back hitting balls again. The bad news is that the 15-time major champion is likely still some way off a return to competitive action on the PGA Tour, and PGA Tour Champions. 

Woods, who recently turned 50, has not played in a competitive Tour event since missing the cut at The Open in July 2024 - and he wanted to make his fans fully aware of that during his latest interview with ESPN. 

The 15-time major champion was absent from all Tour events in 2025 after first undergoing surgery to repair a ruptured left Achilles tendon in March. Seven months later he then underwent the seventh back surgery of his career, which further disrupted his plans to return to the sport. 

There had been some hope from ardent Woods fans and even fellow PGA Tour players that he would be able to get himself back inside the ropes in early 2026.

But as GolfMagic confirmed in October from several doctors with insight into the type of surgery Woods had undergone, the likelihood was that he would always be looking at around five to six months out of Tour action. 

Should that indeed be the case, then Woods could still be hopeful of teeing it up at The Masters from 9-12 April. 

While Woods has thankfully confirmed he's now been cleared to hit short and mid irons, which is certainly a positive update, he does admit the road back to the PGA Tour is still some way off as he's not yet hitting drivers. 

Woods provided a latest health and golf game update during TGL and two days before the start of the 2026 PGA Tour season getting underway at the Sony Open in Hawaii. 

"I've been cleared to hit, basically, hit short irons and mid irons," Woods told ESPN host Scott Van Pelt ahead of Jupiter Links' TGL match against New York GC at the SoFi Center on Tuesday night. 

"I haven't gone any beyond that. Whenever that time comes, when I start hitting drivers, and I start playing at home, and start doing all the different things, I will have been away from the game for a year and a half, so I'm going to be pretty rusty.

"So there's a lot that goes into it. My prep is going to have to be a little bit different from my other proecedures I've had in the past. I've had to stay a lot more patient with myself. I get sore faster, I guess because I'm 50, and that happens."

Woods is eligible to compete on the PGA Tour Champions now he has turned 50 years old. 

But it remains to be seen just how many events he chooses to play outside of the PGA Tour and the four majors, which remain his priority. 

The one benefit for Woods on the senior circuit is that he will be able to ride in a golf cart should he wish. 

Woods also discussed Brooks Koepka's stunning return to the PGA Tour during his interview with Van Pelt. 

The 15-time major champion labelled Koepka's reinstatement as an "incredible" moment for the PGA Tour and its fans. 

Watch Woods' comments on Koepka here: 

Woods was not in action for Jupiter Links on Tuesday night but he did walk alongside his team as an acting coach. 

Unfortunately for Woods and Jupiter Links, they were on the losing side as New York ran out commanding 8-3 victors. 

Tiger hilariously told his son Charlie ahead of the match that he wasn't going to suck tonight because he wasn't playing! 

Watch that magic moment here: 

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