Will Tiger Woods Play At The Masters? Here's What He Had To Say

Originally posted on The Spun | By Daniel Bates | Last updated Mar 25, 2026 2:02 PM ET

Tiger Woods officially made his long-awaited return to competitive golf with his appearance in the TGL Final last night. But what does that mean for his chances of playing in the 2026 Masters?

Woods only hit five shots for Jupiter Links GC (outside of putts) but looked pretty healthy for his first time back.

And afterwards the 15-time major champion gave a window into his mindset about possibly playing at Augusta this year.

Tiger Woods of Jupiter Links GC tees off during match against Los Angeles Golf Club during the TGL finals at SoFi Center on March 24, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.© GREG LOVETT/PALM BEACH POST / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tiger Woods asked about decision on '26 Masters

The 50-year-old Woods last played in the 2024 British Open before having to undergo multiple procedures on his back and rupturing his Achilles. But Tiger maintains that the Masters are still very much in his crosshairs less than month out from the tournament — even if it doesn't sound likely.

“As I said, I’ve been trying. Just this body is—it doesn’t recover like it did when it was 24, 25,” Woods explained (via SI.com). “It doesn’t mean I’m not trying. I’ve been trying for a while. I’ve had a couple bad injuries here over the past years that I’ve had to fight through and it’s taken some time. But I keep trying."

"I want to play. I love the tournament. I’ve loved being there since I was 19 years old," Tiger said. "It’s meant a lot to me and my family over the years. I’m going to be there either way with The Loop that's going up there, as well as the Champions Dinner.”

“... I don’t know, we’ll see how it goes. I’ll be practicing, playing at home this week and keep trying to make progress.”

Woods' team loses TGL championship, Tiger shares kiss with Vanessa Trump

Despite his best attempts, Woods was unable to stop Los Angeles Golf Club from taking the TGL Crown. LAGC made three straight eagles to close out their 9-2 victory on Tuesday night and capture the SoFi Cup.

“We got our [butts] kicked at the end,” Tiger admitted. “Three eagles in a row. I missed a short one to give them momentum and we never got it back.”

Before Woods teed off, he and girlfriend Vanessa Trump also shared a moment together in celebration of his return. The couple exchanged a hug and a kiss inside the stadium and did so again after the less.

Time will tell if Tiger is up to potentially competing in the Masters again, but the clock is ticking on the PGA legend's chances — at least in 2026.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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