Tiger Woods‘ long-awaited comeback to professional golf remains uncertain following confirmation that he will not compete in the 2025 Hero World Challenge, scheduled for December 4-7 at Albany in the Bahamas.
The announcement, made with the release of the tournament’s final 20-player field, signals another setback for the 15-time major champion as he continues to recover from multiple surgeries.
Woods, who has not played an official PGA Tour event since missing the cut at the 2024 British Open, remains in rehabilitation after undergoing lumbar disc replacement surgery earlier this year.
The procedure followed a separate Achilles tendon operation, leaving the 49-year-old facing yet another extended recovery period. Now, despite being the event host and founder, Woods has participated in only one of the last three Hero World Challenges.
The tournament, which benefits the TGR Foundation, continues to attract elite PGA Tour players even in his absence, underscoring the respect Woods commands across the sport as he explained the circumstances that led to the operation:
“After experiencing pain and lack of mobility in my back,” Woods said. “I consulted with doctors and surgeons to have tests taken.
“The scans determined that I had a collapsed disc in L4/5, disc fragments, and a compromised spinal canal.
“I opted to have my disc replaced yesterday, and I already know I made a good decision for my health and my back.”
The surgery, performed by Dr. Sheeraz Qureshi at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, was reported to be successful. However, it adds to a lengthy list of medical setbacks that have kept Woods sidelined for much of the past decade.
He last appeared competitively at the 2024 PNC Championship alongside his son, Charlie Woods and a sports injury specialist told Golf.com that the operation aims to restore mobility while remaining stable – but it comes with strict recovery protocols.
“Tiger will be under strict orders to do a lot of resting and strict limitations on movements like twisting and bending,” Marty Jaramillo said, and although the surgery may offer long-term relief, Jaramillo cautioned that recovery will likely be slow and deliberate.
Given Woods‘ history of injuries and his age, returning to professional-level golf could take longer than fans hope.
Who will compete in the 2025 Hero World Challenge?
With Woods sidelined, this year’s Hero World Challenge will still feature a world-class field.
The final lineup includes defending champion Scottie Scheffler, 2016 winner Hideki Matsuyama, and several top-ranked PGA Tour players.
Here’s a look at the complete 2025 Hero World Challenge field:
- Scottie Scheffler
- Justin Thomas
- J.J. Spaun
- Robert MacIntyre
- Harris English
- Keegan Bradley
- Justin Rose
- Sepp Straka
- Hideki Matsuyama
- Cameron Young
- Sam Burns
- Corey Conners
- Chris Gotterup
- Wyndham Clark
- Brian Harman
- Andrew Novak
- Alex Noren
- Akshay Bhatia
- Billy Horschel
- Jordan Spieth
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