Being able to play alongside his son, Charlie, has been the thrill of a lifetime for Tiger Woods. In fact, the reigning runners-up have been igniting the family event for five years now. However, due to his recent surgeries, the PGA Tour legend announced an update to avoid disappointing the 16-year-old budding star.

“I just got cleared last week to chip and putt. (Just chipping and putting) wouldn’t be fair on my son or any of the other teams, let alone the team that could replace us,” Woods said ahead of the Hero World Challenge.

Woods had his seventh surgery in an injury-laden career just six weeks ago. According to him, his recovery is progressing more slowly than he would like. Although he agrees it was something he needed to do, he also understands that bouncing back to his normal self will take time.

In 2024, he experienced a dream most athletes would cherish, competing side-by-side with his son Charlie in the beloved exhibition event, which requires players to have won a major championship or the Players Championship to qualify. Their partner must not hold any playing status on a professional Tour.

Last year, they took that dream further.

Charlie, then just 15, delivered one of the tournament’s most memorable highlights by draining a hole-in-one from 178 yards. The event brought together current and former pros teaming up with a parent or child over 36 holes. But despite a strong showing, Bernhard Langer and his son Jason were nearly flawless, forcing Tiger and Charlie to settle for a runner-up finish.

“For us to have that experience together. I know we didn’t win, but it was the fact that we competed,” Tiger said. And even though Tiger has now confirmed he won’t play this year, it’s clear the 49-year-old is feeling the sting of missing out.

“This is about bonding and it’s about having a great time together. This is the thrill of a lifetime for us to be able to experience this together,” said Tiger Woods last year. And for Charlie, too, it was a defining moment in his young career.

Last year’s star-studded field brought together champions who had amassed 69 major titles, 40 senior majors, and more than 1,000 international victories. The lineup featured five former winners and welcomed two debut teams. Then, LPGA’s world No. 1 Nelly Korda headlined the field, with more than half the competitors having reached the top spot in the world rankings at some point in their illustrious careers.

So, while Tiger wants to return to playing soon, the surgeries are keeping him out of the green fields.

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Tiger Woods’ health update explains Hero World Challenge decision

In October 2025, Tiger Woods underwent yet another procedure for a lumbar disc replacement. Last month, he revealed the latest operation was to replace the L4-L5 disc in his lumbar spine, a necessary step after ongoing issues that had been slowing him down.

Although the surgery went well, Woods needs to rest. Consequently, he won’t be able to take part in the Hero World Challenge, the event he not only plays in but also hosts each year.

Woods explained his decision to move forward with the surgery by saying he had been dealing with “pain and lack of mobility” and that scans after his Achilles surgery showed a collapsed disc, disc fragments, and pressure on his spinal canal.

This wasn’t the only setback he faced recently.

Earlier in March 2025, he underwent surgery for a damaged left Achilles tendon suffered during training. In September 2024, he needed back surgery to relieve a nerve impingement. With so many procedures in such a short span, the American legend will undoubtedly require time before returning to full strength on the course. However, we can rest assured that he is still trying to find his way to the putting green and play with the passion he used to have.