GOLF: Tiger Woods returns to action with TGL Finals loss, no Masters decision yet

Tiger Woods’ comeback to competitive golf faced a setback as his Jupiter Links Golf Club team fell 9-2 to the Los Angeles Golf Club in the TGL Finals in Florida on Tuesday. Despite the loss, his return has sparked hope that he may compete at next month’s Masters.

The 50-year-old Woods, who has undergone multiple surgeries and had not played on the PGA Tour since missing the cut at the 2024 British Open, expressed satisfaction at being back in action at the indoor golf league, which blends simulated golf with real chipping and putting.

“It felt great to be back with these guys. This was our team from last year and we have so much fun,” Woods said, standing alongside teammates Max Homa and Tom Kim.

Jupiter Links, playing without Woods in Monday’s opening match of the best-of-three finals, lost the first game. In Tuesday’s do-or-die second match, the team initially took a 2-0 lead but eventually conceded the championship as Los Angeles hit three consecutive eagles.

“I am frustrated we didn’t get it done. We had opportunities,” Woods said. “Last night, we should have won that match, and they took advantage of it and steamrolled us at the end tonight. So yeah, it feels good to be back, but I would have liked to be back under better circumstances. That’s the way sports is: you put yourself out there, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and you deal with it.”

Woods co-founded the tech-driven TGL with Rory McIlroy last year.

Masters Prospects

Woods’ path back to golf has been challenging. He ruptured his left Achilles last March and underwent lumbar disk replacement surgery last October. The Californian legend, whose 15 major titles include five Green Jackets, has set his sights on the Masters, starting April 9 in Augusta.

“I’ve been trying,” Woods said about his Masters prospects. “This body doesn’t recover like it did when I was 24 or 25. Doesn’t mean I’m not trying. I’ve had a couple of bad injuries over the past year, but I keep trying. I want to play. I love the tournament; I’ve loved it since I was 19. It has meant a lot to me and my family over the years, and I’m going to be there either way.”

-Reporting by Rory Carroll; Editing by Shri Navaratnam and Muralikumar Anantharaman/Reuters