Tiger Woods Masters 2025: Why is the golf legend not playing at Augusta National?

The 2025 Masters is about to begin, but it will do so without injured golf legend Tiger Woods. 

Golf's first major of the year will get underway on Thursday 10 April at famed Augusta National, and it will see 95 golfers battling it out to win the famous green jacket.

But while there was great hope and anticipation at the start of the season that five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods would be able to peg it up on the hallowed Georgia turf, the 15-time major champion confirmed last month that his 2025 season was over after undergoing surgery for a ruptured achilles. 

Woods has not played in a competitive event on Tour since missing the cut at the 152nd Open at Royal Troon in July 2024. 

Tiger Woods Achilles Injury update

Woods will not tee it up at this year's Masters after he ruptured his achilles tendon while training at home.

In March 2025, the former World No.1 released a statement on social media confirming he ruptured his left achilles while ramping up training to return to competitive golf.

It was another injury to add to Woods’ long list of injuries that have plagued his illustrious career.

Woods' statement last month read as follows: 

“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 all for the support.”

Woods announced he underwent a successful procedure to repair the tendon.

He is expected to make a full recovery but he will unlikely play another competitve event until 2026.

By then he will have turned 50 years old (30 December) and will be eligible to compete on the PGA Tour Champions. 

Woods will also be afforded the luxury of using a golf cart in senior golf events, should he wish to take up such an offer. 

Woods has not released any expectation of when he might return.

But he did recently confirm he has a new girlfriend in Vanessa Trump. 

How many times has Tiger Woods missed the Masters?

2025 will be the fifth time Woods has missed the Masters during his pro career. 

He also missed the 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2021 editions of The Masters.

Woods had played in six of the last seven Masters, which includes his latest win in 2019.

How many times has Tiger Woods won the Masters?

Woods has won the coveted green jacket five times, with his first coming in 1997.

He remains the last golfer to win The Masters in consecutive years (2001 and 2002).

Will World No.1 Scottie Scheffler become the next this Sunday? 

Did Woods attend the Masters Champions dinner?

Woods did not attend Tuesday's Champions Dinner, which is held at Augusta National every year before The Masters.

It's understood that 32 out of the 35 living champions attended the annual dinner, with Vijay Singh and Sandy Lyle also missing the dinner.