Tiger Woods is ramping up his training workload as he prepares for a competitive return to golf, though his playing status for next month’s Hero World Challenge remains unconfirmed.
The 50-year-old golf superstar spoke on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio. He confirmed that his physical condition has improved.
I’m feeling better, no doubt about that. I’ve been training quite a bit. I will be at Hero [World Challenge]. I’m there either way, so I’ll see you there.
Tiger Woods
Tournament organizers have left three exemption spots open in the 20-golfer field. Woods hosts the limited-field invitational event, which is scheduled for December 3-6 at Albany in the Bahamas.
Seventeen players have already been announced for the no-cut, 72-hole tournament. Woods has not competed in an official PGA Tour event since missing the cut at the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon in Scotland. His tournament schedule has been curtailed by a ruptured left Achilles tendon in March 2025 and his seventh back surgery—a lumbar spine disc replacement—in October 2025.
Woods was involved in a single-vehicle rollover car crash on Jupiter Island, Florida, and was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. This occurred just days after he competed in the TGL simulator league finals in March.
Woods announced he was stepping away from golf to seek treatment outside the United States. He spent time in an inpatient rehab facility in Switzerland. He pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and refusal to submit to a lawful test, and his driver’s license was suspended for five years as part of a plea agreement.
Tiger Woods says he's "feeling better" and has been training quite a bit. "I will be at Hero [World Challenge]. I'm there either way, so I'll see you there!" Could we see Tiger on the course at the Hero in less than a month? pic.twitter.com/4ojh3hW9Rv
Business partner Rob McNamara indicated Woods wanted to play a full schedule moving forward. NBC Sports golf analyst Kevin Kisner reported this on a podcast.
Organizers are holding a spot in the PNC Championship field for Woods and his son, Charlie, for the December 17-20 father-son scramble in Orlando, Florida. Players are permitted to use a golf cart at the event. He is expected to compete for his team, Jupiter Links Golf Club, when its TGL season opens on December 27 at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, barring any further physical setbacks.
Two-time Schwab Cup champion Steven Alker expressed confidence during a media session at Phoenix Country Club that the 15-time major winner has his sights set on senior tour action once he achieves the right physical and mental state. Inside conversations suggest the golfer has strong interest in marquee senior competitions, specifically pointing to invitationals hosted by friends Steve Stricker and Jim Furyk, as well as the U.S. Senior Open.
A victory at the U.S. Senior Open would give Woods a 10th title. The senior tour permits the use of riding carts, which would alleviate the physical demands of walking 72 holes. Ernie Els has similarly mapped out potential senior schedules with Woods, while other prominent figures in the sport have emphasized the impact his arrival would bring to the senior circuit.
