Tiger says he's better, 'training quite a bit' as Hero Challenge decision looms

Tiger Woods, who hasn't played competitive golf since the TGL finals in December, said he's "feeling better" and "training quite a bit" ahead of the Hero World Challenge, a tournament that he hosts in the Bahamas that begins on Dec. 3.

Prior to the TGL finals, the 50-year-old Woods last played competitively in March 2025 before rupturing an Achilles tendon and then having a seventh back surgery later that year. He hasn't competed on the PGA Tour since he missed the cut in the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland.

"I'm feeling better, no doubt about that," Woods told Sirius XM PGA Tour Radio in an interview that aired Tuesday. "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."

The Hero Challenge has a 20-man field, with all but three exemptions having been announced for the no-cut, 72-hole event.

The 15-time major champion had been aiming to return for the 2026 Masters, but he was arrested on suspicion of DUI following a single-vehicle rollover crash March 27 on Jupiter Island, Florida. 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.

While Woods hasn't yet formally committed to playing, he is expected to compete in Jupiter Links GC's season-opening TGL match on Dec. 27 barring another physical setback, sources told ESPN last month.

Woods might also play with his son, Charlie, Dec. 17-20 in the PNC Championship in Orlando, Florida. Woods would be allowed to use a cart in the 36-hole, two-person scramble.