For many years, the question on everyone’s lips at this time of year was ‘will Tiger Woods win The Masters?’
These days, that’s been downgraded to ‘will Tiger play in The Masters?’ The last time Woods teed it up in a pro event was the Open Championship in 2024.
He played all four majors that year (nothing in between) and missed the cut in the final three. But he did make the weekend at Augusta to preserve a very proud record.
Since turning pro, Tiger has teed it up in 24 Masters and made the cut in all of them.
Although being in obvious pain in the last couple, he’s still somehow found a way to fashion a score and get through.
Despite that lengthy absence from competitive golf, the speculation about Tiger playing in this year’s Masters ramped up when he appeared for Jupiter Links in the TGL indoor league earlier this week.
Due to the format of the tournament, Woods hit just nine shots and four of those were putts.
However, a 3-wood that measured 272 yards and a drive that finished 318 yards down the virtual fairway provided encouraging signs.
With this iteration of Tiger, we presume that chipping and putting aren’t a problem. But, due to the toll of multiple injuries and surgeries, can Tiger still go after it and control full swings? On this evidence, the answer was yes.
Interviewed straight after his TGL appearance, here’s what Woods had to say about his prospects of making The Masters.
“I’ve been trying. Just this body is – it doesn’t recover like it did when it was 24, 25. It doesn’t mean I’m not trying. I’ve been trying for a while. I’ve had a couple bad injuries here over the past years that I’ve had to fight through and it’s taken some time.
“But I keep trying. I want to play. I love the tournament. I’ve loved being there since I was 19 years old. It’s meant a lot to me and my family over the years. I’m going to be there either way with The Loop that’s going up there (a nine-hole par-3 course he’s been involved with -“The Loop at the Patch”), as well as the Champions Dinner.”
And asked if he will leave his decision to the Friday before Masters week, Woods replied: “I don’t know, we’ll see how it goes. I’ll be practising, playing at home this week and keep trying to make progress.”
So, what do others in the golfing world think about Tiger’s chances of playing this year’s Masters?
Golf365 put the question to a number of leading names.
Ewan Murray (The Guardian)
Will he play? I think he will.
Will he make the cut? I don’t think he will make the cut. I fear this is rumbling towards a sad, inauspicious conclusion.
James Corrigan (The Telegraph)
Will he play? Yes, he will not be able to resist
Will he make the cut? The head says do not be silly, the heart says do not be silly – but, yes, I’m being silly. Somehow he will make his 25th Masters cut in succession.
Nick Rodger (The Herald)
Will he play? The will he, won’t he saga about Woods playing in the Masters should be accompanied by the cliffhanging ‘doof doofs’ you get at the finale of Eastenders. It would be another miraculous twist in the Tiger tale if he made it.
A comeback at this stage, though, may just be a Hogan bridge too far and I don’t see him playing. I’m willing to eat my officially branded Augusta hat, though.
Ben Coley (Sporting Life)
Will he play? I will admit to not having been glued to coverage of the TGL final but Tiger’s presence there has to bode well for his prospects of making the Masters. I lean towards yes, having been strongly on the no side until recently. Let’s be positive.
Will he make the cut? We’re surely long past questioning what Tiger Woods can and cannot do and I certainly won’t rule out anything. However, it’s two years since he last played, 14 rounds since he last broke par, he was last seen finishing near last in the Open, and the percentage call is to say he will miss the cut if playing. Good luck pricing up the top seniors market, with Phil Mickelson having barely played this year.
Sam Harrop (golf songwriter, Sliced podcast)
Will he play? Yes, I think he’ll play. Everyone knows how much he loves the tournament, and he’ll be desperate to tee it up as long as he can swing a club (which he clearly can after playing the TGL playoff finale).
Will he make the cut? I don’t think he’ll make the cut, however. Augusta is such a gruelling walk, and the lack of tournament reps has to be a concern even for a player of Tiger’s calibre.
Brady Kannon (Golf Betting Analyst for CBS SportsLine and Golf.com)
Will he play? I believe Tiger will try to play. Him playing a little bit in the TGL on Tuesday night was probably a good sign.
Will he make the cut? Obviously, he only has a couple more weeks left to get ready physically and certainly he is a heavy favorite to miss the cut. I’ll go one further and take the under on Tiger finishing two complete rounds.
Unfortunately, a WD before Round 2 is complete is very possible. It is interesting to think that he hasn’t played a Tour event in nearly two years – so has that been enough time for him to recover or is it that it has been so long that we can figure maybe he’s just done? We want to speculate and bet to the positive but I’m thinking the smart play is on the “No”.
Pat Mayo (Mayo Media Network)
Will he play? If he’s playing TGL, he’s playing Augusta.
Will he make the cut? And ya, Tiger can shoot 72/73 in his sleep at The Masters.
Geoff Fienberg (Mayo Media Network)
Will he play? Yes, I believe Tiger Woods will play in The Masters. I have nothing substantial to go on here other than attempting to read the crumbs and puzzle pieces of information he’s dropped along the way.
Will he make the cut? I don’t believe he will make the cut, which in turn has me re-thinking my opinion on if he will play. Many say it’s one of the most demanding walks in all of golf and he’s coming off an injury without any real competitive reps. If he makes the cut it would be an accomplishment that should be celebrated.
Jeff Sherman (Las Vegas bookmaker, Golfodds.com)
Will he play? As bookmakers we are all hoping he plays. Tiger always commands betting interest no matter his form or odds. Only Tiger and his team know if he will tee it up; it truly feels like 50/50 at this point. With his uncertainty and not having teed it up competitively since 2024 (outside of the TGL Final), there has been very little support thus far on him at 500/1 for Masters outrights (we do refund non starters), but that would change with a commitment from him.
Will he make the cut? Tiger’s Masters cut prop (will he or won’t he make it?) is our most popular golf prop of the entire season when we can offer it, as he is so polarizing. We get quite a bit of support on both sides. In recent years it has hovered around pick (50:50), and I envision if he plays, the ‘no’ will be a reasonable favourite. As we know Tiger plays when he says he thinks he can win, so I don’t believe we will see him at Augusta. If he were to play I do not think he would make the cut.
Alex Myers (Golf Digest)
Will he play? Yes.
Will he make the cut? No!
Sarah Stirk (Sky Sports)
Will he play? I don’t think he will.
Mark Townsend (Golf365)
Will he play? Yes, he won’t be able to help himself.
Will he make the cut? To make the cut without playing a proper tournament since the 2024 Open is ridiculous – but, yes, he’ll play the weekend too.
Matt Cooper (Golf365)
Will he play? I think he might play – Justin Thomas’s recent comments weren’t about the Masters but they might be informed by where Woods is at.
Will he play? I don’t think he’d make the cut.
In summary, the vast majority think, by hook or by crook, Tiger will make the start line at Augusta.
But as for keeping that cut-streak going – the hive mind says no.
If Woods does indeed tee it up, eight out of 11 believe a 25th straight cut as a pro will be beyond him and he won’t make the weekend.
Without even asking them, all eight would surely love to be proved wrong.
The post Will Tiger Woods play the Masters? Experts make their predictions appeared first on Golf365.
Article Link: Tiger Woods Masters 2026: What the experts say about return