Tiger Woods ruptures Achilles in fresh injury setback and major doubt for The Masters at Augusta National

Tiger Woods looks set for another long spell away from the PGA Tour and is a doubt for the major season after rupturing his Achilles, the former world No 1 has confirmed.

Woods last competed in an official PGA Tour event in July - when he missed the cut at The Open - and has played a limited schedule since a car crash in February 2021 that left him with career-threatening injuries.

The 15-time major champion elected against playing in The Players at TPC Sawgrass, the flagship event on the PGA Tour, with Woods confirming that he has undergone surgery on an Achilles injury.

• Latest golf headlines, reports and highlights ?
• When are the majors? Key dates in 2025 ?
• Tiger Woods delays PGA Tour return at The Players ?️‍♂️
• Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW ?

In a statement posted on social media, Woods said: "As I began to ramp up my own training and practice at home, I felt a sharp pain in my left Achilles, which was deemed to be ruptured.

"This morning, Dr Charlton Stucken of Hospital for Special Surgery in West Palm Beach, Florida performed a minimally-invasive Achilles tendon repair for a ruptured tendon.

"I am back home now and plan to focus on my recovery and rehab, thank you for all the support."

Woods' latest injury is on the opposite leg to which he suffered "significant" damage in the 2021 car crash, with the 49-year-old now likely to miss The Masters next month at Augusta National.

Dr Stucken added in the statement: "The surgery went smoothly, and we expect a full recovery."

Another setback in Tiger's injury-hit career

Woods has only made 11 competitive starts since the car crash in 2021, struggling to contend at events during such a limited playing schedule.

He made a record-breaking 24th consecutive cut at The Masters last year, only to card back-to-back 78s over the weekend, then made early exits in all the other three majors.

Woods underwent "successful" surgery to alleviate "back spasms and pain" last September and was not ready to compete at the Hero World Challenge in December, although he did appear later that month - using a golf cart - alongside his son at the PNC Championship.

The 82-time PGA Tour winner was listed in the field to play at The Genesis Invitational - a tournament he hosts - in February before admitting he was "just not ready" to compete, following the death of his mother earlier in the month.

Woods featured in the Seminole Pro-Member - a long-running event at Seminole Golf Club - on March 3 and has competed for Jupiter Links GC in the inaugural TGL season, where he revealed on March 4 that his "heart is not really into practising right now".

He added that evening was only the third time he had touched a golf club that month, as he juggled mourning his mother with commitments on the PGA Tour, with Woods now facing an extended spell on the sidelines.

Where will Woods play next?

Woods has yet to confirm when he can return to action. The Masters takes place at Augusta National from April 10-13, with the PGA Championship in May, the US Open in June and The Open rounding off the men's major season at Royal Portrush from July 17-20.

Former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley told Sky Sports: "For a golfer, an Achilles injury is a serious one. You don't just walk on it, but you obviously swing as well with your feet. Bernhard Langer suffered a similar injury last year and it's an aggravating injury that takes a long time to heal.

"I'd be surprised if he makes The Masters - depending on how serious it is, as I think Langer was out for three months when he did his. Based on that, he could well be ready by the US Open. But we will have to see.

"His first knee injury was his left knee, because it was the same as mine. I remember him talking to him about it. An injury is an injury, it doesn't matter right or left.

"Old Father Time is moving on, marching on and he's 50 next year. I don't think we've seen the end of him, I think he can still play golf, we've seen that, he can still swing it at a lot of speed. But he is marching towards playing more seniors golf than he is on the main tour.

"I don't think we'll see him retire. I think he'll certainly have four or five years on the seniors' tour, playing senior major championships and trying to add those to his already incredible CV."

Watch the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, majors and the best of women's golf live throughout 2025 on Sky Sports Golf. Stream Sky Sports Golf and more with NOW.

(c) Sky Sports 2025: Tiger Woods ruptures Achilles in fresh injury setback and major doubt for The Masters at Augusta National