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Tiger Woods’ Masters Update No Longer a Secret Amid the Injury Worries

Originally posted on DailyClubGolf | By Krushna Pattnaik | Last updated Mar 20, 2026 9:03 AM ET

Tiger Woods is finally returning to the golf course after recovering from his injuries and teasing his stance on multiple occasions. And he might just be inclined to compete at the 2026 Masters Tournament. All that we needed was a confirmation.

Prior to this development, fans were busy looking hopefully at signs pointing at Woods’ return. Last week, we saw reports of his private jet landing in Augusta. It fueled speculations that preparations for his return were already underway behind the scenes. And now, that gap has been filled by Augusta National.

The official player page for the 2026 Masters Tournament confirms, “Tiger Woods is making his 27th Masters start in 2026.”

The player page went on to honor the 82-time PGA Tour champion’s previous starts at Augusta National, including his Low Amateur honors on his debut in 1995, and five victories in 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, and 2019.

Woods has remained inactive for about two years now. He suffered multiple injuries including a rupture in his Achilles tendon in March 2025. Later in October last year, he underwent his seventh back surgery to repair a problematic lumbar disc.

But couldn’t he have returned a bit earlier? Well, not really!

Why Didn’t Tiger Woods Make a Comeback Earlier?

The 15-time major champion has been trying to return to play the matches at TGL and represent the Jupiter Links. But his recovery following the lumbar disc replacement surgery in October 2025 has been slow.

“Disc replacement is not a lot of fun,” Woods said as the Jupiter Links advanced to the finals on March 17, 2026. “I’ve had a lot of procedures prior to that, so the body doesn’t quite heal like it was when I was 24. Doesn’t quite bounce back.”

“So I have good days when I can pretty much do anything, and other days where it’s hard to just to move around.”

A lumbar disc replacement surgery usually takes a couple of months to recover. However, for complete recovery and regaining full range of motion, people have to stay in rehabilitation for around three to six months. And as a 50-year-old, Woods took slightly longer than average to finally bring his swing under control.

But can he dominate the field like he used to before? What are your thoughts?

This article first appeared on DailyClubGolf and was syndicated with permission.

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