Tiger Woods Not Ruling Out Masters Return; Ryder Cup Captaincy Also Uncertain

Tiger Woods did not rule out a return to the Masters just under two months away, even as his immediate future appears to include just about everything but golf. Woods again painted an uncertain future about when or where he plays next because of a seventh back surgery to replace a disk. He said Tuesday at the Genesis Invitational that he remains plenty occupied, mostly with trying to reshape the PGA Tour schedule. “I thought I spent a lot of hours practicing in my prime,” Woods said. “It doesn’t compare to what we’ve done in the boardroom.” Those hours also are an obstacle in his decision about being the U.S. captain for the Ryder Cup for the 2027 matches in Ireland. Woods turned down the job two years ago because he didn’t think he had the time to do the job justice. Foremost this time of the year is the Masters, which Woods last played in 2024, when he made the cut for a record 24th time in a row. Woods is a five-time Masters champion. Asked if playing the Masters, which starts April 9, was off the table, Woods replied without elaboration, “No.” As for his golf anywhere — he turned 50 at the end of last year and is eligible for the PGA Tour Champions — Woods said he is still working his way back from the disk replacement surgery in October and has no timetable for a return. He has yet to play in the indoor TGL matches, either. “Well, I’m trying — put it that way,” he said, adding that he can hit full shots, but not every day “and not very well.” Last year was the first time in his career he did not compete in a single tournament. He had surgery in March 2025 for a ruptured Achilles tendon, which is no longer holding him back. He said his lower back was sore, and at his age, “It’s probably going to take me a little bit longer.” “My body has been through a lot,” Woods said. “Each and every day, I keep trying, I keep progressing, I keep working on it, trying to get stronger, trying to get more endurance in this body and trying to get it at a level at which I can play at the highest level again.” His chief interest is indoors. He is on the board of the PGA Tour and the commercial PGA Tour Enterprises, heading the “Future Competition Committee” that is trying to create a model to meet CEO Brian Rolapp’s goal of fewer tournaments that are more meaningful for the best players. The only thing clear is that a new model most likely won’t be ready by 2027. The committee has reached agreement on a big start to the season — that could be the week after or before the Super Bowl — taking the big events to bigger markets and becoming the must-see sport of the summer. Another players-only meeting was scheduled Tuesday at Riviera. Rolapp is expected to pull back the curtain on some aspects at The Players Championship in March, with a little more clarity expected in the summer. Among items under consideration is moving some prime California stops — Riviera and Torrey Pines get most of the attention — to August as part of the PGA Tour’s postseason. “We’re looking at things like that, looking to go to bigger markets later in the year for the playoffs. Just trying to make our competitive model better, and how do we do that?” Woods said, adding that moving the Genesis Invitational to August “certainly is on the table.” All the while, Woods said it was important to create a path for the next batch of stars. “We’re trying to create opportunities for that turnover … to get more youth out here because, eventually, they’re going to take over the game,” Woods said. “So trying to create that opportunity, trying to create the right competitive model and the environment to foster that, that’s been the greater challenge of it all.” As for the Ryder Cup, that is also in the wait-and-see mode. The PGA of America waited longer than it ever has before choosing Keegan Bradley for the 2025 matches at Bethpage Black because it was waiting for an answer from Woods. He doesn’t appear to have made much headway. “They have asked me for my input on it, and I haven’t made my decision yet,” Woods said. “I’m trying to figure out what we’re trying to do with our tour. That’s been driving me hours upon hours every day and trying to figure out if I can actually do our team — Team USA and our players and everyone that’s going to be involved in the Ryder Cup — if I can do it justice with my time.” Woods became involved at Riviera in 2017 when his TGR Venture began running the event, and now he is the official host in the same capacity of Jack Nicklaus at the Memorial and the late Arnold Palmer at Bay Hill. Those three signature events are the only ones with a 36-hole cut. Genesis announced it was renewing as title sponsor at Riviera, even amid questions whether it might move to late summer. Genesis also is title sponsor of the Scottish Open in July. There is also a question of how Riviera could be held in August 2028, a month after the Olympics. Reporting by The Associated Press.