PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — It’s time for the PGA Tour’s marquee event, the 2026 Players Championship.
The field is loaded, with 46 of the top 50 players in the world set to tee it up at the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass. Rory McIlroy is the defending champion, having captured his second Players in a playoff last March. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler also has two titles at TPC Sawgrass under his belt, coming in 2023 and 2024. He’s the only golfer to repeat at the Players.
However, another notable two-time major champion won’t be in the field. Tiger Woods is still on the mend after his latest back surgery.
Tiger Woods injury update
Tiger Woods, the 15-time major champion, ruptured his left Achilles while ramping up training to return to competitive golf in March 2025, and in October, he underwent lumbar disc replacement surgery in his L4/5 Lumbar spine for lower back symptoms.
There’s no timetable for Woods’ return. He has been seen in public plenty at his Jupiter Links TGL team’s matches, even teasing he hopes he could return by the Masters next month.
How many times has Tiger Woods missed the Players?
Since 2015, Woods has competed in the Players only twice, coming in 2018 and 2019. The two-time champion at TPC Sawgrass has competed only three times since his victory in 2013.
“I’m always going to be for him playing. I think for the betterment of golf and the tournament, I don’t think there’s anybody that would be against it,” Justin Thomas said when asked Monday about Woods.
When was Tiger Woods’ last competitive start?
It’s coming up on two years since Woods played a competitive round. His last time competing was the 2024 British Open at Royal Troon, where he missed the cut.
