How will Tiger Woods' latest injury impact his Champions possibilities?

USA Today

15-03-2025

How will Tiger Woods' latest injury impact his Champions possibilities?
It was just over a week ago when Steve Stricker, an 18-time winner on the PGA Tour Champions, was musing about Tiger Woods playing senior golf in 2026 after Woods turns 50 next December.
'There are so many unknowns there, so I am not sure how much,' Stricker said at the media day for the Galleri Classic, the PGA Tour Champions event in Rancho Mirage later this month. 'He's not even playing that much on the regular tour.'
Those words certainly have a truer ring to them the last few days after it was announced that Woods had surgery to repair the Achilles tendon on his left foot. For those keeping track, the left foot is Woods 'good' foot, at least compared to the right ankle and lower leg damaged in his famous car accident just over four years ago.
Since the announcement, it's normal that there is talk of Woods finally hanging up the golf clubs and slipping into retirement. After all, how much can one body take, and between surgeries on his back, his knees and now both feet, Woods playing golf is more of a miracle than any comeback in any tournament Woods has ever mounted.
In his statement about surgery on social media, Woods said the procedure was minimally invasive and that he's expecting a full recovery. But what exactly is Woods recovering for?
Since the 2020 U.S. Open, Woods has played in just 13 official tournaments, though he has played in the PNC Championship with his son Charlie a few times. He's made just four cuts in that span. Watching the best player of the last 25 years struggle just to make the cut can't be fun for Woods, and it's not that much fun for his fans.
Now comes the latest surgery, making Stricker's comments about Woods and senior golf more poignant.
'The first few years, his schedule out there might be a little limited,' Stricker said. 'Not sure which events he will play in. I would imagine there are majors he's going to focus on. I know probably that U.S. Senior Open, that USGA event. He's won every other USGA event there is. I think that will be high on his list.'
There have been whispers around the PGA Tour Champions in recent years that indeed Woods might play some senior golf. As someone who has won the U.S. Junior, the U.S. Amateur and the U.S. Open, completing a set of national championships with the U.S. Senior Open makes sense, especially for a golfer like Woods who embraces the history of the game.
Senior golf has other advantages that might intrigue Woods. While he has refused to ride a cart during regular tour events or major championships, carts are acceptable and even encouraged on the PGA Tour Champions. And the events are mostly just 54 holes, something else that could save wear and tear on Woods' back and legs.
But so much of that depends now on the latest surgery and Woods' desire to fight back one more time against his own body to compete at the highest level. Woods hasn't been a meaningful golfer since 2019, the year he won two tournaments including his fifth Masters. We know Woods is one of the most competitive and mentally tough players in history, but you have to wonder which procedure, which injury will take that away.
At the Galleri Classic media day, Stricker seemed convinced that the golf world would see Woods playing with the 50-and-over set.
'I hope to see him. I'm optimistic saying five, six, seven times a year,' Stricker said. 'I think that would be a lot. So where those are, I don't know. It may be a few years before he commits fully to the Champions Tour, I would think.'
Playing some senior golf and a handful of regular majors might seem like a better option for Woods than retirement. Unfortunately, after his latest surgery, retirement might actually be Woods' best option.
Larry Bohannan is the golf writer for The Desert Sun. You can contact him at [phone] or at [e-mail]. Follow him on Facebook or on X at @larry_bohannan.