The 15-time major champion last played at the Masters in 2024.

Tiger Woods drops a surprising one-word response to talk of 2026 Masters appearance

Tiger Woods isn’t ruling out a return to Augusta.

The 15-time major champion spoke with reporters Tuesday at the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club, where he was asked about his recovery timeline after undergoing surgeries for a disc replacement and ruptured Achilles in 2025.

Woods, who hosts the Signature Event in LA’s Pacific Palisades, said he didn’t have a target set for a return — but didn’t shut down the idea of making an appearance at The Masters in April.

Woods has won the Masters five times, second in history behind Jack Nicklaus’ six.

In one of the greatest comebacks in all of sports, Woods famously rebounded from a laundry list of personal setbacks and injuries to reclaim the iconic green jacket in 2019.

But after hitting the half-century mark in December, Woods has certainly felt his age as he attempts to recover from even more surgeries — including the seventh procedure on his lower back, alone.

“I’m trying,” Woods said regarding his return, admitting that he’s considered using a cart on the Champions Tour. “It has been challenging. I’ve entered a new decade. That number has sunk in.” 

Still, Woods has built a career on defying the odds, and time will tell if he can do it again.

The Masters gets underway on April 9. McIlroy enters this year’s tournament as the defending champion after capturing a career grand slam last spring.