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Is Tiger Woods playing Mexico Open? Schedule, injury update for PGA Tour 2025 debut

Is Tiger Woods playing Mexico Open? Schedule, injury update for PGA Tour 2025 debut

USA Today19-02-2025

Tiger Woods said his goal this season is to play more golf tournaments. But last week, when he was initially scheduled to make his 2025 PGA Tour debut at the Genesis Invitational he hosts, Woods needed more time after the sudden death of his mother, Kultida Woods, earlier this month.
That postponed the official start of Woods' golf season on an actual course. It won't begin this week at the PGA Tour's Mexico Open at VidantaWorld in Vallarta, Mexico, either. Woods instead played in the TGL on Tuesday night with Jupiter Links Golf Club.
But he hinted recently a PGA Tour return could be on the horizon, perhaps even before The Masters in April. Woods hasn't played competitively since The Open Championship last July.
Here's the latest on Woods' schedule and injury status for the 2025 PGA Tour season:
2025 MEXICO OPEN:Thursday first round tee times, how to watch PGA Tour event
Is Tiger Woods playing at the Mexico Open?
No. Woods is not included in the 132-golfer field for the 2025 Mexico Open at VidantaWorld released by the PGA Tour ahead of first-round action, Thursday in Vallarta, Mexico. Woods has never played at the Mexico Open during his professional career. It only became an official PGA Tour event in 2022.
Tiger Woods injury update
Woods said in December at the Hero World Challenge – a tournament he hosts in the Bahamas – that he was not physically ready and "not sharp enough" yet to compete against the best golfers on the PGA Tour following another back surgery last September. Woods underwent microdecompression surgery on his lumbar spine to relieve nerve impingement in his lower back, aiming to reduce the pain and spasms he experienced.
"I don't want to have any setbacks. Just want to keep making progress and give myself the best chance going to next year as possible," Woods said in December. "I feel like I'm getting stronger, I'm getting more pliable, but I got a long way to go to be able to compete against these guys."
Woods has since played at the PNC Championship with his son, Charlie Woods, in December. Woods has also played three matches with his Jupiter Links GC team in the TGL, the virtual golf league he co-founded along with a group of investors that includes Rory McIlroy.
Tiger Woods 2025 schedule: When will he play next?
A year ago around this time, Woods said he aimed to play in one tournament per month. He only played in five PGA Tour events last season, and that included withdrawing after the first round of the 2024 Genesis Invitational due to an illness. He only made the cut at the Masters, finishing in 60th place.
It's uncertain now when his 2025 PGA Tour debut will be. Next month's Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players Championship could be possibilities ahead of the Masters in April. But Woods has yet to commit to any PGA Tour event for 2025 after withdrawing from the Genesis Invitational again last week.
"My goal was to play more and I haven't played. Got to work on that," Woods told Jim Nantz during an interview from Sunday's CBS telecast of the Genesis Invitational. "This process was unexpected, so I'll get back after it and look forward to playing some bigger events."
Woods is, however, scheduled to play with Jupiter Links GC in the TGL more. The team has two more regular-season matches on Feb. 25 and March 4 before the league's postseason begins. Both matches will be broadcast on ESPN and streamed via ESPN+.
2025 Mexico Open: TV, streaming, how to watch PGA Tour event
The eighth event on the PGA Tour's 2025 schedule will be carried live on TV by Golf Channel all four days. NBC will pick up live coverage of the third and final rounds. There is streaming on ESPN+ as well as the NBC sports app. You can also stream the tournament with Fubo, which offers a free trial.
Thursday, Feb. 20
First round
9:15 a.m.-7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
4-7 p.m. ET, Golf Channel
4-7 p.m. ET, NBC Sports app
Friday, Feb. 21
Second round
9:15 a.m.-7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
4-7 p.m. ET, Golf Channel
4-7 p.m. ET, NBC Sports app
Saturday, Feb. 22
Third round
8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. ET, ESPN+
1-3 p.m. ET, Golf Channel
1-6 p.m. ET, NBC Sports app
3-6 p.m. ET, NBC and Peacock
Sunday, Feb. 16
Final round
8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. ET, ESPN+
1-3 p.m. ET, Golf Channel
1-6 p.m. ET, NBC Sports app
3-6 p.m. ET, NBC and Peacock
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