With just one week to go until the 2025 PGA Championship tees off at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, anticipation is building fast. From May 15 to May 18, the world’s best will battle it out for the Wanamaker Trophy on one of the toughest finishing stretches in golf—Quail Hollow’s infamous “Green Mile.” The field is stacked: Rory McIlroy will be riding high from his emotional Masters win, Scottie Scheffler is looking to bounce back, and defending champion Xander Schauffele returns to defend his crown. But one name won’t be on the tee sheet—Tiger Woods.

You see, the 15-time major champion will miss the PGA Championship this year due to a significant setback: a ruptured Achilles tendon in his left leg. The injury occurred in March, and Woods underwent surgery shortly after. His team announced a recovery timeline of four to six months, effectively ruling him out of all major tournaments this season. He also missed the Masters last month. This marks another difficult chapter in Woods’s long history of battling injuries.

At 49 years old, and with a fused back and multiple leg surgeries behind him, each comeback becomes harder. Still, fans haven’t given up hope. If rehab goes well, Woods could aim for a return in the fall or perhaps a ceremonial appearance later in the year. Despite being out for the 2025 PGA Tour season, one can assume he hasn’t ruled out returning in December for the PNC Championship alongside his son, Charlie Woods. The family event has become a fan favorite and a sentimental fixture for Woods, who has used it as a gentle reentry into competitive golf before.

Though he won’t be walking the fairways at Quail Hollow this time, Woods’s shadow still looms large over any major. His absence will be felt, but his legacy remains the gold standard every contender at the PGA Championship is chasing. As golf’s next major nears, the show must go on—just not with Woods in it. Still, while the present unfolds without him, the future may yet belong to Woods—especially if Jack Nicklaus’s latest prediction proves true.

Nicklaus predicts Tiger Woods’s next act

Tiger Woods may be sidelined from this year’s PGA Championship and the rest of the 2025 season, but golf legend Jack Nicklaus is already looking ahead—and he sees domination on the horizon. Speaking during the honorary starters press conference at Augusta National, Nicklaus, 85 and winner of 18 major titles including 6 Masters, predicted that Woods, who turns 50 this December, will “probably dominate the Senior Tour” once eligible in 2026. “Tiger is too much of a competitor to not play,” said Nicklaus. “I believe he’ll play. He doesn’t need the money—he’ll do it for the competition. And he’s very good at it, obviously.”

Woods’s future on the main PGA Tour has been clouded by a series of major injuries, the most recent being the ruptured Achilles tendon that required surgery in March. But the PGA Tour Champions could be a perfect fit, especially since players are allowed to ride in carts with a medical exemption—a game-changing accommodation for someone with Woods’ physical history.

While fans will miss seeing Woods chase more majors in 2025, Nicklaus’ prediction offers a new storyline: a revitalized Woods storming through the over-50s circuit. If he returns healthy, golf’s fiercest competitor may still have one more act left—and it could be just as unforgettable.