Tiger Woods is celebrating his 50th birthday – but when will golf fans be toasting the 15-time major champion’s return to competitive action?
Woods was limited to the role of tournament host at the Hero World Challenge in December due to injury, with uncertainty remaining over his future and what his schedule will look like in the years ahead.
The 82-time PGA Tour winner has played sparingly since suffering career-threatening injuries in a 2021 car crash, completing a full 72-hole tournament just four times over the past five years.
Woods missed the entire 2025 major season after rupturing his Achilles in March, then underwent disc replacement in October - at least the seventh back surgery he has had during his career.
The former world No 1 admitted recovery from his latest setback is going "not as fast" and, as of December 8, was only cleared by doctors to chip and putt.
"[Surgery] was a good thing to do, something I needed to have happen. it just takes time and dedication to the rehab process," said Woods at the time, as he revealed he "can't really do much" but now has the the all-clear to "start cranking up a little bit in the gym".
Woods has made multiple injury comebacks over his lengthy career, with 2026 marking the 30th anniversary of him turning professional, but it remains unclear when we will next see him on the course.
What is certain, though, is that Tiger's impact over the years has altered golf for the better, with Your Site Golf's Rob Lee saying: "He was breathtaking. He made golf so exciting and changed the game.
"Even the youngsters starting now on the DP World Tour and PGA Tour, if they see Tiger they should shake his hand as he changed the game for them."
Woods has previously described the PNC Championship as his 'fifth major' with the 36-hole team competition seeing a former winner of a major or The Players tee it up alongside a family member.
He had featured in every edition since 2020 with his son, Charlie Woods, who fired a hole-in-one during the 2024 contest before they lost in a play-off to Bernhard Langer's team.
Tiger opted out this year, though, saying it "would not be fair" on Charlie or "another team that could play and have that experience that we've had for a number of years."
So, could the 2026 edition of TGL be where we see Tiger next?
Woods, who played in three of Jupiter Links GC's four losses in the tech-infused tournament last term, is part of the 2026 roster, although has ruled himself out of the early fixtures.
Jupiter Links GC play New York Golf Club on January 13 (January 14, 12am UK time), Los Angeles Golf Club on January 21 (January 20, 12am UK time) and Atlanta Drive GC on February 2 (10pm UK time), before two matches in the first week of March.
Woods said: "Hopefully I will be able play at the end of the season here and there, but I don't know. I've got to hit more shots than just chip and putt in TGL - there's a few drives I might have to hit."
Woods made the PGA Tour's Genesis Invitational his first start of the season in both 2023 and 2024, although the fact he has ruled himself out of those early TGL matches would suggest it's unlikely he will be fit to feature at the Riviera Country Club from February 19-22.
Woods turning 50 frees him up to play on the PGA Tour Champions from next season, giving him the option to play events on either circuit once he has recovered from injury.
He could use a golf cart during regular-season events on the PGA Tour Champions, while the Florida Swing - across March on the PGA Tour - is close to home and where he has enjoyed previous success.
The five-time Masters champion has only played 10 events or more in a calendar year twice over the past 10 seasons.
"I'm probably going to play 25 events on both tours and I think that should cover most of the year, right?" Woods joked to reporters. "I'm just looking forward to just let me get back to playing again.
"Let me do that and then I'll kind of figure out what the schedule is going to be. I'm a way away from that part of it and that type of decision, that type of commitment level.
"Unfortunately, I've been through this rehab process before, it's just step by step. Once I get a feel for practising, exploding, playing, the recovery process, I can assess where I'm going to play and how much.
"I really haven't gone in depth on what the schedule looks like on the Champions Tour, except for a few tournaments."
Your Site pundit Lee added: "Until Tiger absolutely thinks there is no chance, he is going to keep trying to build fitness and get back to a place where he can play.
"Imagine what it would do for the Champions tour if he appeared in that, playing alongside Vijay Singh, Ernie Els and all his old nemeses.
"There is a way for him to compete out there and if he can commit to 10-12 events, just think what the TV ratings are going to be like."
Woods said ahead of The Masters in 2024 that he feels he can add to his major tally 'if everything comes together', although finished last of those who made the cut that year before making early exits at the PGA Championship, US Open and The Open.
He hasn't been seen at a tournament offering world ranking points since the missed cut at The Open in July 2024, while his last major top-20 finish came during his memorable 2019 win at The Masters.
Woods has lifetime exemptions to The Masters and the PGA Championship, plus can feature at The Open for another decade.
He is currently ineligible for the US Open but the USGA have previously offered a special exemption for Woods.
Throw in the possibility of senior majors in 2026 and there are more opportunities than ever for Woods to make his latest return.
The sporting world watches on with interest to see if - or hopefully when - that will happen.
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