The last time Tiger Woods played in more than 10 PGA Tour events was during the 2018-2019 season. He played in 12 and won what could be said was the most important one, the Masters. But since then, he has only been in and out of a few tournaments, especially after his severe car accident in 2021. His constant absence from golf has made fans wonder if they could ever see him regularly on the PGA Tour, or if he will say goodbye to professional golf without that.

Discussing this very topic that is on the minds of millions of fans, a golf analyst has finally predicted that, ‘He’s going to retire.’ The hosts and analysts, Trent Ryan, Frankie Borrelli, and Sam Riggs Bozoian, were discussing whether Tiger Woods will have a proper golf tour before retiring, or if he will just go ‘wishy-washy’ and make the announcement suddenly.

“I think we are living in a wishy-washy Tiger Woods world and have been living in that since you know it’s been a couple years now and I just don’t see him coming out and saying I am retiring that just doesn’t to me feel like a Tiger Woods thing I think it’s going to be ah maybe I’ll tee it up here maybe I won’t until he’s like 75 I really think that and he was so great that he still probably thinks it’s in there somewhere,” said Trent Ryan on the Fore Play podcast.

It may sound brutal, but it’s not wrong of Trent Ryan to say something like that. Woods will soon turn 50 and has already made multiple attempts at a comeback, but failed miserably. He has had six back surgeries and four knee surgeries over the years. Recently, he even ruptured his left Achilles tendon and had surgery for the same in March 2025. Although he was seen swinging at the practice range at Liberty National before the Nexus Cup 2025, it seems like his body simply cannot keep up with the game.

Reflecting on that very thing, Frankie Borrelli pointed out how it not only affects him but also other players in the tournament. “The guy can barely walk, but he literally, it’s exhausting for the people around him to play an event,” said Frankie. “It must be, got to be a nightmare when he’s like, I’m playing in the US Open,” he continued.

We have all witnessed this phenomenon at numerous tournaments now. In the 2024 Masters Tournament, he could barely walk the entire course. He has also withdrawn from many events, including the 2022 PGA Championship. Woods opened with a 74 on Thursday and then bounced back with a phenomenal 69 on Friday. But when he carded a 9 over par 79 on Saturday, he withdrew from the tour as his body could not keep up. The same thing happened at the 2024 Genesis Invitational, where he withdrew after just six holes in the second round.

Woods himself has openly said how painful it is for him to prepare for these tournaments. “Lots of treatments. Lots of ice. Lots of ice baths. Just basically freezing myself to death. That’s just part of the deal,” Woods once said in 2022. He understands the challenges his body faces just to be able to complete all four rounds. Reflecting on the same, Frankie said, “As much as I don’t want that to happen, it’s like he’s going to retire him.”

It’s not just Frankie, or any other host of a podcast, for that matter; many professional golfers think that it’s time for Tiger Woods to end his professional career. The Scottish golfer, Colin Montgomerie, had said that it’s “past time” for him to retire. “I hope people remember Tiger as Tiger was, the passion and the charismatic aura around him,” Montgomerie told The Times. “There is none of that now. At Pinehurst (for the U.S. Open), he did not seem to enjoy a single shot and you think, ‘What the hell is he doing?’ He’s coming to Troon, and he won’t enjoy it there either.”

The reason is that Tiger’s injuries have never allowed him to build any momentum. He would participate in tournaments, play well in the first couple of rounds, and as his body gave up, he would just look to finish the tour or simply withdraw. That’s pretty much how it has been during his recent comeback attempts. It’s basically like a “hit or a miss.”

Paul McGinley, the Irish golfer who is now associated with Sky Sports, has said that “We’re certainly coming to the end of Tiger’s career. In his last 19 starts since that big car crash injury, he’s had only one top 10.”

Although many people predict that Tiger Woods may retire soon, probably in a year or two, some optimists encourage him not to do so. And there is a good chance that he could continue.

Tiger Woods’s probable comeback in 2026

Tiger Woods was asked why he keeps putting his body through so much pain. And he gave a similar response to what he has been giving for years. “I’ll play as long as I can play and I feel like I can still win the event,” said Woods.

Woods is only turning 50, and many others have won on the PGA Tour after that age. Phil Mickelson, for example, became the oldest major champion by winning the 2021 PGA Championship. He was close to becoming 51 years old when he achieved that feat. Davis Love III also won the 2015 Wyndham Championship when he was over 51. Another name that comes to mind is Fred Funk, who won the 2007 Mayakoba Golf Classic when he was 50 years and 8 months old.

If there’s anyone who can do it like these veterans, it has to be Tiger Woods. Bernhard Langer, who defeated the 15-time major winner and his son Charlie Woods at the 2024 PNC Championship, also said the same. “He’s got a lot more game than most of us. Even when he is 70 percent, he’s still a force to be reckoned with. He was moving fairly good. I was watching his swing and he was going after it,” said Bernhard, who himself made a surprising return after the Augusta farewell.

The only thing that is holding him back is his health. It’s not just one surgery; he has been dealing with them one after the other. His most recent Achilles tendon surgery was successful, and he appears to have made a full recovery.

He was not part of the field announced for the 2025 Hero World Challenge, which he himself hosts. However, three names were still to be announced. Many people are hoping to see his name in the remaining three. But if not, he could very well be saving himself for something bigger in 2026.