How serious is Tiger Woods’ Achilles injury? Is he likely to miss the rest of 2025, and could retirement be on the cards for the 49-year-old?
Tiger Woods turns 50 later this year, had back surgery last September, is four years removed from a car crash that left him with career-threatening injuries and has just ruptured his Achilles that is likely to rule him out of the rest of 2025 – so, what’s next for Tiger?
What is Tiger’s latest injury setback?
Woods has ruptured his left Achilles, the former world No 1 confirmed in a post on social media on Wednesday.
It is the latest in a long line of injury problems for the 15-time major winner, who underwent a sixth back surgery last September and has had four knee surgeries over the course of his storied golfing career. He was also involved in a car crash in February 2021 that left him with career-threatening injuries.
Woods’ latest injury is on the opposite leg to which he suffered “significant” damage in that 2021 crash, while Dr Charlton Stucken of Hospital for Special Surgery in West Palm Beach, Florida, who performed Woods’ latest surgery, was quoted in his statement, saying: “The surgery went smoothly, and we expect a full recovery.”
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Woods can also take encouragement from two-time Masters champion Bernhard Langer, who suffered an Achilles tear in February last year. The 67-year-old recovered in impressive fashion, even winning the Charles Schwab Cup – with the aid of a cart – in November, on the PGA Champions Tour for over-50s.
Could the Hero World Challenge in December, the tournament Woods hosts, possibly be a target for a return to action? Or possibly playing alongside his son, Charlie, again at the PNC Championship that same month?
How serious is Woods’ injury?
Consultant chartered physiotherapist Sammy Margo told the PA news agency: “The immediate post-surgery phase is up to two weeks, when you’re not mobilising and you’re not weight-bearing.
“Then the early rehab is about two to six weeks when you’re gradually taking some load, and then you move up to a bit more weight-bearing in a protective boot from about six to 12 weeks and then you start to move on from about three to six months.
“Typically, for a professional athlete like Tiger Woods, the recovery timeline would be four to six months basic recovery, six to nine months for a return to professional competition and probably around about 12 months for full recovery and optimal performance.
World No 2 Rory McIlroy has certainly ruled out a Woods return in 2025, telling reporters at TPC Sawgrass on Wednesday: “We obviously won’t see him play golf this year, and hopefully we see him maybe play in 2026.”
Will Woods retire or return to golf?
“I know he’ll try,” McIlroy added on the prospect of Woods returning to competitive golf. “I obviously don’t know what’s in his head, but judging by prior behaviour, he’ll definitely try.”
With Woods turning 50 in December, McGinley believes Woods could well return to the course but in seniors golf, which he’d be eligible to compete in for the first time.
“We still think he’s got a lot of good golf in him, but maybe the golf gods are lining up for him to maybe have that big success in major championships in senior golf,” McGinley said.
“As he moves towards the age of 50, that could be the next horizon for him, performing and winning majors on that over-50s tour.”
