Tuesday morning of Hero World Challenge week has become a strange and familiar ritual in professional golf—a moment where Tiger Woods gives fans and reporters a glimpse into his future. For years, Woods has used this 20-player exhibition as a platform for announcing new goals and career plans, making his annual Tuesday press conference a highly anticipated event.
It’s become a space to hear about how he’s feeling, what he hopes for in the coming year, and whether he plans to compete in a handful of events, or maybe just a select few before the U.S. Open.
Tiger Woods’s health update
Given his status, Tiger’s answers are always newsworthy, and often, his plans seem to change from year to year. But this year, Woods’ tone was notably more measured and subdued. As tournament host but not competitor, he arrived at the Albany Golf Club to address the press, sitting out the competition as he recovers from his most recent surgery—a microdiscectomy performed in early September, marking at least his sixth back operation in the past decade.
Though Woods appeared physically strong, still sporting the chiseled upper body that has helped him adjust his swing since the 2021 car accident, his words suggested he didn’t quite feel like a professional golfer anymore.
His focus this year was on recovery, with no set timeline for when he might return to competitive golf. His condition has left him uncertain about future plans, and this year’s press conference highlighted the challenges of coming to terms with a body that no longer allows him to compete at the level he once did.
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“I’m not tournament sharp yet, no. I’m still not there,” he said. “These are 20 of the best players in the world, and I’m not sharp enough to compete against them at this level. So when I’m ready to compete and play at this level, then I will.”
Woods’ comments on Tuesday stood in stark contrast to the optimism he expressed last December, when he outlined his goal of playing one event per month in 2024—starting with the Genesis Invitational in February and potentially ending with the Tour Championship in September.
However, Woods managed just four starts and only completed a 72-hole event once, at the Masters. This Tuesday, he revealed that the reason behind his limited appearances was his ongoing battle with back issues.
Woods explained that an unexpected bout of spasms had caused severe pain, radiating from his spine down to his leg, and significantly hindered his ability to compete at the level he hoped for in 2024.
“I didn’t think my back was going to go like it did this year,” Woods said. “It was quite painful throughout the end of the year and hence I had another procedure done to it to alleviate the pain I had going down my leg.”
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