Tiger Woods said he will not compete in the annual Hero World Challenge.
Jane Barlow | Getty Images
The golf world will wait at least a little longer to see Tiger Woods.
The 15-time major champion announced Monday evening that he will not compete in the World Challenge of Heroesevent he hosts every year in the Bahamas as he continues to recover from his Sept. 13 microdiscectomy.
“I’m disappointed that I won’t be able to compete in this year’s Hero World Challenge, but I always look forward to hosting the tournament and spending the week with @HeroMotoCorp,” he posted on social networks. “Excited to welcome our exceptions @JustinThomas34, @JDayGolf and @NickDunlap62 to the field.”
The Hero, scheduled for the first week of December, draws the golf world’s attention every year for its star-studded field and association with Woods. Tiger serves as the tournament’s host and has used the event as a staging ground for various competitive restarts over the past decade.
Monday’s news indicated he is still recovering from back surgery in September that sidelined him, the sixth spinal procedure since the fusion surgery that revitalized his competitive career in the late 2010s. Woods said in September that he hoped the latest surgery — a minimally invasive procedure to remove a herniated disc and associated pressure on nerves — would relieve “spasms and pain back pain’ that he was experiencing for most of the 2024 season.
“I look forward to tackling rehabilitation and preparing to return to normal life activities, including golf,” he said in a statement at the time.
His retirement may disappoint golf fans, but it’s not a surprise. Woods is still only 10 weeks removed from surgery, and the spinal torque required for the golf swing requires a slow rehab process. He missed two months with a similar injury before his car crash in 2021 — a timeline that would likely not be shortened to allow Woods a start in a limited-field event.
Woods has played sparingly in recent years, but he has earned a regular presence on the PGA Tour’s December schedule. A year ago he played at Hero and has played each of the past years in the annual PNC Championship along with his son, Charlie. Woods has yet to announce his intentions for the PNC, but he would be able to compete in that event from the comfort of a golf cart, a luxury not afforded by Hero.
Either way, though, golf fans won’t have to wait long to hear from the man himself. Woods will still be in attendance at the Hero World Challenge and will give his annual press conference in his role as tournament host.
