Tiger Woods‘s two incredible wins may live at TPC Sawgrass permanently, but the eligibility criteria have no such loyalty. This is why Tommy Fleetwood could not hide his disbelief when he discovered that Woods was not in the 2026 field, aside from his recovery.

“Is Tiger not eligible for this event?” Fleetwood expressed shock during the PLAYERS press conference. “That’s unbelievable. I can’t believe he’s not eligible. How bad is Tiger Woods at golf? I think Tiger Woods should be able to play anywhere in the world.”

Woods last played The PLAYERS in 2019, finishing T30, one month before winning the Masters for the 15th major of his career. This victory earned him a five-year exemption from the tournament, which expired after 2025. Without a PGA Tour win, a top FedEx Cup standing, or another qualifying pathway, he does not meet the 2026 criteria. The PLAYERS does not grant special exemptions, even for a 2x former champion.

Woods’s 2001 win at TPC Sawgrass included one of the tournament’s most replayed moments, a 60-foot triple-breaking birdie putt at the 17th hole in round three, which drew NBC announcer Gary Koch’s legendary call, “Better than most!” He won again in 2013. Now, without a 2026 win or a return to the top-50 world rankings, his path back to TPC Sawgrass gets narrower each year. The chances of both are bleak, honestly.

Notably, since 2015, Woods has competed in the PLAYERS Championship only twice: 2018 and 2019. The two-time champion at TPC Sawgrass has competed only three times since his victory in 2013.

The last event Woods played was in 2024. He competed in the PNC Championship. Most of his time in 2025 was spent on recovery. Earlier in the year, he hurt his Achilles tendon, and then he underwent surgery to replace a lumbar disc. We might see him tee off at Augusta in April since he denied the Masters being off the table this year. He also hinted at a possible TGL appearance for the semifinal at Jupiter Links Golf Club on March 17, noting cryptically that he is looking forward to it.

Tommy Fleetwood isn’t the only one who is in support of Tiger Woods playing at the PLAYERS Championship. His younger brother also wants him to play.

Justin Thomas also wants Tiger Woods in the field at TPC Sawgrass

In the pre-tournament presser, when Justin Thomas was asked whether Woods deserves a special exemption for The PLAYERS 2026, the two-time major champion did not hesitate.

“I’m always going to be for him playing,” Thomas told reporters, making his position clear immediately. “I think for the betterment of golf and the tournament, I don’t think there’s anybody who would be against it. I guess, unless it’s somebody who isn’t qualified, I’m sure they would like to play too. But I guess we’ll cross that bridge if we get there.”

A major victory gets you in automatically. Tiger Woods, a 15-time major champion and two-time PLAYERS winner, currently has no such pathway available, and the bridge Thomas referenced may need crossing sooner than anyone expected.

Anyways, Tiger Woods isn’t the only one missing the action at TPC Sawgrass. Will Zalatoris will miss the event due to an ankle injury, and then there are Matt Kuchar and Billy Horschel. Rory McIlroy’s title defense is also at risk at the moment. Fleetwood will tee off Thursday at 8:52 a.m. ET alongside world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and 2021 champion Justin Thomas.