Nearly a month ago, still battling the after effects of undergoing his seventh back surgery, a somber Tiger Woods updated at a TGL match, “I’ve been cleared to hit, basically, hit short irons and mid irons,” but then added that he hasn’t “gone any beyond that.” Now, for everyone awaiting the competitive return of the needle-mover at the PGA Tour, that was one cryptic update. And fast forward to the present, at a different TGL match, Woods dropped another one.

Present at the SoFi Center for the Jupiter vs. Atlanta match, Woods was asked, “How are you feeling? You look pretty good, look like you’re moving around pretty good. How close are we?” Woods replied, “To what?”

When explained, Woods shrugged and added, “Playing here? I don’t know. I like watching these guys. As far as competitive golf, it’s still some time.”

Now, for those who have consistently followed updates around Woods’ health, that is hardly surprising. Ahead of his TGL team Jupiter’s match against New York last month, Woods declared, “Whenever that time comes, when I start hitting drivers, and I start playing at home, and start doing all the different things, I will have been away from the game for a year and a half, so I’m gonna be pretty rusty.”

There are only a few arguments against that, given his back surgery back in October 2025. The last time Woods played competitive golf was two years ago, in 2024, when he missed the cut at The Open. Following that, Woods has often been spotted at TGL matches and supporting his son, Charlie Woods, during his matches, but hardly anywhere else.

This time, too, he was present at a TGL match on Monday, witnessing his team (Jupiter) break a 371-day winless streak. Playing against Justin Thomas‘ Atlanta, Jupiter registered an 8-6 win. And although all of Jupiter’s members, Max Homa, Akshay Bhatia, and Kevin Kisner, were crucial for the win, it was Kisner who held his head the highest.

Following the win, an excited Woods also declared, “We were getting our butts beat early, but we made a run and kept the momentum. We finally made some putts, which is nice.”

On the other hand, despite Woods’ endless cryptic updates about a possible comeback, rumors of his return to competitive play refuse to die down. Maybe not on the PGA Tour, but definitely on the Senior Tour.

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Why Tiger Woods is a perfect fit for the PGA Tour Champions, as per pros

In an exclusive with Golf, Stewart Cink said of a possible Tiger Woods debut on the PGA Tour Champions, “[Woods] already made his legacy. He’s not going to come out here and like, recreate a new legacy. But I think he would be able to strip it down to its purest form, and that’s just competition and testing himself out. It would be a good way for him to test out his body and see how things are going, getting ready for some of his other tournaments, majors, and whatnot. It would be huge.”

Remember when Woods said he’s currently trying to be “patient” with his recovery because “I get sore faster, I guess, because I’m 50. And that happens”? While he has often mulled over his future in sports, Woods has also frequently refused to comment on such discussions. There have been arguments against it as well—particularly regarding his potential debut on the Senior Tour.

Tommy Gainey said during an interview on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio, “There’s been rumors he’s going to play out here. I don’t know if any of the golf fans in TV land or radio land have seen, but he signed a deal with Insperity. You could see it on his sleeve, so that’s good news.”

Insperity, held in the first week of May, is one of the most popular events on the PGA Tour Champions. And Woods first announced his (TGL) partnership with the sponsor last year; however, there’s been no concrete update since.

Yet, Gainey hopes to see Woods play on the senior tour anyway: “… And when he does get healthy and plays out here, I would love to be paired with him going into the final round with a chance to win a golf tournament against him. That would be a dream come true.”

Now, it’s just a waiting game.