Just when we thought he would finally make his return, Tiger Woods put a lid on the excitement. The big cat had given the fans hope of his comeback after he hit a few drives during an exhibition event at Liberty National Golf Club in September 2025. Everyone wanted to see him in action again after a series of surgeries since the end of The Open 2024. However, Woods confirmed his 7th lower back surgery recently, thwarting all hopes of a return. But some see this as an ominous sign. Johnson Wagner believes we might have seen the last of him now.

Wagner joined Trey Wingo in one of his podcasts on YouTube on an episode dedicated to Tiger Woods, among other things. During one of the opening segments, the host asked him what he thought of the future of the 82-time PGA Tour champion. Wagner told Wingo, “Anybody who played in the post-Tiger Woods era on the PGA Tour needs to probably give him about 25% of their career earnings. That’s what he did for the game and for professional golfers. Every event he played in felt completely different from any other event.”

Woods set the benchmark for everyone and inspired thousands, if not millions, of individuals around the world to pursue the sport, like Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler. He also made the sport so popular that golf started recording unbelievable viewership numbers. That was the kind of impact he had on golf, something that still lasts to this day. Despite that, Wagner, like everyone else, thinks that he has to face reality.

“I say that because I have so much respect for him and admiration for what he did. But I’m going to say this: I don’t think we’ll ever see him play in another major championship. He’s always been the guy that said he’s not going to be a ceremonial golfer. I just don’t see a world where we see him play in the Masters again. It makes me very sad. I just think his body is just beaten down, and I don’t think he can do it anymore.”

After going through multiple accidents and medical procedures, Woods has suffered a lot. His fans would surely expect him to make a full recovery and return to action. But it could be difficult for Woods, considering what he is going through. Having said that, Wingo questioned him about a hypothetical situation of whether Woods would have made some different choices in the past.

“The couple of events he has played since the car crash and before the last couple of surgeries, you could tell, like the ball striking is still there. I’ve had people tell me that if he would have taken a medical exemption and taken a cart before the most recent surgery, he’d probably win two or three tournaments a year. Do you think that would have been possible had he decided to do something like that?”

After his car crash in 2021, Tiger Woods could have opted to use the cart on the fairway. But he didn’t take that option and walked the 7000+ yards every event he played. However, Wagner still thinks that wouldn’t have made much of a difference: “I don’t think that he would ever take a cart. So it’s hard to even say. The Achilles issue that he just had, and now another back surgery, I just think it’s added up. I don’t think even with a cart. I think the game has gotten younger. Everybody’s hitting the ball so far. Everybody’s so good. I don’t think even with Tiger Woods in a cart right now, I don’t think he would be able to win.”

Even if he had used the cart, Wagner thinks his body was just too damaged after the car accident. It would have been impossible for him to make up for it just by avoiding walking on the fairway. The stress he puts into training and playing pro events could have also caused enough havoc for him to retire early.

Even so, Woods has more to look forward to beyond the pro tour. Let’s take a look at where fans could catch the Big Cat once he’s back.

Where can Tiger Woods compete again once he recovers from his 7th lower back surgery?

He may be down, but he’s not out yet. Tiger Woods is still eager than ever to keep showing up for golf events. In fact, he has already confirmed his next appearance, albeit as a spectator.

During a recent tweet exchange with his TGL team, Jupiter Links GC, Woods revealed that he will be at SoFi Center to show support for his team. Woods wrote, “I’ll be there for every match! Looking forward to seeing everyone on January 13th for our home opener. And @willlowerygolf, hands off my sticks!” While he may not be playing, fans will see him in the stands cheering the squad on.

Alternatively, Tiger Woods had already been hinting at switching to the Champions Tour once he turned 50. With a recovery timeline of about 3-6 months, fans will probably see him making a move to the PGA Tour Champions and battling his old rivals like Vijay Singh, Ernie Els, & Co. Now that is something every fan would be eager to watch. Wouldn’t you?