Tiger Woods may not be ruling out the 2026 Masters. However, not everyone is convinced it’s a realistic target. He is still recovering from a ruptured Achilles and his seventh back surgery. With 5 green jackets in his wardrobe, as Woods eyes a potential return to Augusta National, a prominent golf analyst believes the timing raises serious concerns.

Sitting for a candid conversation, golf pundits, Trey Wingo and Justin Ray reflected on the matter, and Wingo said, “No, I mean it’s a timing of when we’re doing this, and for people that have never been to Augusta, you need to explain to people why it would be shocking if he’s ready to go there. I’m not sure there’s a hillier golf course than Augusta National that the players play every year.”

Justin Ray immediately echoed the same thought and said, “Yeah, the difficult walk. Think about the different leg injuries he’s had and the different stances with the ball above and below your feet, that’s more demanding on those kinds of joints, like your ankles and things like that. And the hilly nature of the walk aside from where you’re at, which is basically like where they film Jurassic Park, is where I kind of think of the analogy I use for that. That’s an impossible course to walk by the way.”

Speaking ahead of the Genesis Invitational, the 82-time PGA Tour winner made it clear that the Masters is still on his radar. Woods hasn’t played since The Open Championship at Royal Troon in 2024. However, sharing a positive update, he revealed that he is back to hitting full shots. 

Yet walking 72 holes at Augusta is a vastly different challenge than swinging on the range. Even more so because he was previously plagued by the same problem. Woods was forced to withdraw from the 2022 Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas because he was unable to walk due to a right-foot injury.

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Wingo further highlighted how the 5th hole and the 6th hole are far apart in Augusta. After finishing the 5th hole (which is a par-5), players don’t walk to the 6th tee because it’s too far. It often would take about 40 minutes to walk around the big dip or gulch.

“Walking is an integral part of the game, except when we have to get the players from the next green to the next tee, then it’s not. So, yeah. So, that’s why I like the idea of him coming back for the Masters. Obviously, it’s the place that he holds sacred, but the idea of him testing those physical limitations out of the get-go on that course, that’s asking a lot”, said Wingo. 

Ray added, “Yeah, that’s asking, and it seems a little unreasonable to me, but I’m not going to tell Tiger Woods that obviously.”

Augusta is known for its severe slopes. Adding to that, it demands lengthy walks between holes, and awkward lies often put severe strain on the lower body. This is for Woods, who is already managing multiple leg injuries and back issues. These factors might indeed become critical red flags.

Almost five years have passed since he faced a serious car accident, and still, the golfing maestro is battling against physical setbacks. However, despite all the discussions and retirement rumours, Woods is still not ready to hang up his clubs.

Tiger Woods opens up about the challenging road to comeback

The recent event of the Genesis Invitational at the Riviera Golf Course was hosted by Tiger Woods. However, leaving fans disheartened, he still did not make a comeback in the competition sphere. Amid the event, Woods has finally cleared the air about his potential comeback.

Woods shared, “I’m trying [to come back], put it that way. The disc replacement has been one thing. It’s been a challenge to — I’ve had a fused back and now a disc replacement, so it’s challenging.”

Woods turned 50 just weeks back. He even jokingly reflected on the Achilles injury, which has continued to be a persistent headache. 

“The Achilles was not an issue. I can’t dunk a basketball anymore, so I don’t have to worry about that”, he added in a humorous tone.

Last month, when having a conversation with ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt, he stated, “I’ve been cleared to hit, basically, hit short irons and mid irons. I haven’t gone any beyond that.”

Woods acknowledged how his body has gone “through a lot.” Tiger Woods did not compete in the 2025 Masters, following a left Achilles injury. Previously, the legend has visibly struggled with the physical demands of walking 72 holes on the hilly Augusta National course. Now, as he still aims to make a return, fans can only hope for things to fall in place and wait to witness a miracle at the Augusta National Golf Club this April.