A week ago, without actually saying it, Tiger Woods made it pretty clear that he wouldn't be participating in the 51st edition of The Players Championship, stating that his TGL season finale was just the third time he'd touched a golf club since his mother passed away on February 4 and that his "heart is not really into practicing right now."
Naturally, that led most to assume that the 82-time PGA Tour winner would ultimately start prepping to make his non-simulated return to golf at next month's Masters.
But that won't be the case, as Tiger dropped some devastating news on Tuesday afternoon, announcing on his X account that he recently ruptured his left Achilles while practicing at home and has undergone surgery.
Here's the full statement:
As I began to ramp up my own training and practice at home, I felt a sharp pain in my left Achilles, which was deemed to be ruptured.
This morning, Dr. Charlton Stucken of Hospital for Special Surgery in West Palm Beach, Florida performed a minimally-invasive Achilles tendon repair for a ruptured tendon. "The surgery went smoothly, and we expect a full recovery," added Dr. Stucken.
I am back home now and plan to focus on my recovery and rehab, thank you for all the support.
Tiger Woods' 2025 season is undoubtedly over
One can only assume that Tiger's 2025 season is over—not that it ever began.
While Woods appeared in four TGL matches for his Jupiter Links squad, he hasn't played an official event since missing the cut at The Open Championship last July at Royal Troon.
The 49-year-old had announced plans to tee it up at The Genesis Invitational last month but withdrew just a few days later, saying he wasn't quite ready to play following his mother's death. As he serves as the tournament's host, Tiger did make an appearance at Torrey Pines in that capacity.
Woods has made it clear in recent years that his goal each season is to play the four major championships and perhaps a few other big events if his body allows. But given the extent of this most recent injury, it's almost a certainty that we won't see the 15-time major champ tee it anytime soon.
A timeline on when Woods might be able to return to competition has yet to be announced.
It's interesting to note that Tiger turns 50 this December, thus making him eligible for the PGA Tour Champions. So, perhaps his first start back will be his debut on the senior circuit.