Tiger Woods is one of the greatest golfers of all time. It felt like he had a rocket strapped to his back when he was in his 20s and had a clear path to becoming known as the GOAT of the sport.
Woods still reached the upper echelon, but his massive ceiling in the sport was staunchly lowered due to injuries. He has struggled to play consistently, and now we are not only surprised when he is able to play in a major but also when he makes the cut.
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Golf has been Woods’ life for as long as he can remember, so it makes sense that it’s hard for him to walk away, but with his age and latest injury, it could be approaching soon.
Here’s more on whether Tiger Woods is playing in the 2025 PGA Championship.
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Is Tiger Woods playing in the PGA Championship?
Woods will not be participating in the 2025 PGA Championship. He has had an injury-riddled career recently, making his 2019 Masters win all the more impressive, but his latest injury will keep him out of the PGA Championship this year. This will be the second major he has missed of this year, and he is likely going to miss the final two, as well.
What happened to Tiger Woods?
Woods looked like he was staying in golf shape playing in the inaugural season of the TGL over the winter and into the spring. Unfortunately, he shared in March that he had torn his Achilles. Woods has already had surgery and is on the road to making a full recovery.
As I began to ramp up my own training and practice at home, I felt a sharp pain in my left Achilles, which was deemed to be ruptured.
This morning, Dr. Charlton Stucken of Hospital for Special Surgery in West Palm Beach, Florida performed a minimally-invasive Achilles tendon… pic.twitter.com/KAVZfcRxlE
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) March 11, 2025
Woods has already missed the 2025 Masters and will now miss the 2025 PGA Championship. With his projected recovery timeline, it’s safe to assume he will miss the remaining two majors of 2025.
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Tiger Woods Achilles recovery timeline
An Achilles injury is significant, and it typically takes about a year before athletes can return to action.
Since Woods is set to turn 50 in December, his rehab will likely be more rigorous than a much younger athlete would endure. However, golf is not a sport with a lot of sudden movement, so Woods may be able to return to action in a timely fashion even with his age.
Typically, it takes about six months for low-impact movement, such as walking or hiking. Ramping up to play a sport can take more than nine months. Even though golf doesn’t seem strenuous, golfers put a lot of strain on their bodies walking the course and with the constant twisting of a golf swing. Woods likely will be out closer to a year.
Tiger Woods injury history
Over the course of his career, specifically in the past 15 years, Woods has dealt with a variety of injuries, mainly in his back and lower body. Here’s a list of the injuries Woods has suffered over the past two decades.
- December 2002: Left knee surgery to remove fluid
- April 2008: Arthroscopic knee surgery, two stress fractures in left leg
- June 2008: Left ACL surgery, torn Achilles
- May 2010: Inflamed facet joint in neck
- April-May 2011: MCL sprain and Achilles strain
- March 2012: Sore Achilles
- June 2013: Left elbow strain
- March-April 2014: Back spasms and surgery
- September-October 2015: Multiple back surgeries
- February-April 2017: Back spasms and surgery
- March 2019: Neck strain
- August 2019: Strained oblique, left knee surgery
- January 2021: Back surgery
- February 2021: Car accident resulting in right leg and ankle injuries
- April 2023: Ankle surgery
- September 2024: Back surgery
- March 2025: Left Achilles surgery
Will Tiger Woods retire?
Eventually, but Woods hasn’t indicated he is anticipating doing that anytime soon or due to this latest Achilles injury. In the statement that Woods released, he indicated that he fully anticipates a full recovery.
The golfer even had a little fun on April Fool’s Day, saying he had a miraculous recovery and would be playing in the Masters after all. He quickly noted that his Achilles was still a mess, and it was all a joke.
I can’t believe I am saying this, but a few weeks after rupturing my left Achilles, the sleeping in a hyperbaric chamber plus the explosive lifts my doctors and trainers have me ready to play the Masters next week! Can’t wait! See y’all on the course.
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) April 1, 2025
