PALM BEACH GARDENS — Tiger Woods’ return to competitive golf in more than a year, even if it was hitting just nine shots — four of those putts — is going to ratchet up the noise when it comes to the Masters.
The 15-time major champion lamented his Jupiter Links’ team getting its “ass kicked,” and “steamrolled” as Los Angeles Golf Club completed a two-game sweep in the TGL finals with a 9-2 beatdown that ended after 10 holes. He also got to the real reason every swing at SoFi Center was intently watched.
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The start of the Masters is just two weeks away.
“As I said, I’ve been trying,” the 50-year-old said when asked if anything can be read into him playing one TGL match when it comes to the Masters.
“Just this body is … it doesn’t recover like it did when it was 24, 25. It doesn’t mean I’m not trying. I’ve been trying for a while. I’ve had a couple bad injuries here over the past years that I’ve had to fight through and it’s taken some time.
“But I keep trying. I want to play. I love the tournament.”
At first, Tiger’s Masters talk seemed like a tease. Would he really chose one of the most challenging walks on the PGA Tour as his first event since yet another back surgery — he had disc replacement Oct. 10 — which came seven months after rupturing his left Achilles tendon?
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Would Tiger risk Masters reputation without a warmup?
Would he even attempt making his 27th start, and risking his record 24 consecutive cuts made, at such a prestigious event without a true warmup? And on a course that takes peak physical conditioning?
Sure sound like it now.
“I’ll be practicing, playing at home this week,” the Jupiter Island resident said. “And keep trying to make progress.”
The last time Tiger swung a club in which score was being kept was in February 2025 during TGL’s inaugural season, the league he and Rory McIlroy co-founded. And it was two months before that when he last hit a golf ball in a match that mattered on a regular course. That was at the 2024 PNC Championship in Orlando.
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But, as he said, “he’s been trying.” And the progress has been steady, methodical and even led to frustration with “good days and bad days.”
But it’s that most recent optimism that now will resonate and cause a heightened sense of hysteria as Tiger attempts to make another dramatic comeback at Augusta National.
That, and the official Masters website listing Tiger in the invitees section for the 2026 tournament, stating he is “making his 27th Masters start,” even though that is standard procedure for a former champion with a lifetime exemption. And Tiger will remain on that list until he tells them otherwise.
Tiger made it known from the start of this season his desire was to be ready for the end of the TGL season. But wasn’t until about 20 hours prior to the second match of the best-of-3 final series that it was announced he would return, hoping to inspire his team and force a decisive third match.
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Tiger Woods started strong against LA Golf Club
Tiger Woods and Tom Kim of Jupiter Links GC react to their loss to Los Angeles Golf Club in the TGL finals at SoFi Center on March 24, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
It worked early. Tiger’s first full swing of the match, not including a 25-foot putt on the first hole, was a 3-wood off the tee on the second hole.
The ball traveled 272 yards and his teammates were fired up as evidenced by Tom Kim extending both palms as if to say “gimme 10.”
Tiger’s drive helped stake Jupiter to an early lead.
Jupiter took a 2-0 lead two holes later as Tiger’s 46-foot putt from off the green left an easy 2-footer to win the hole.
But not every shot was worth celebrating, especially his 3-foot putt on No. 7 that lipped out and gave LA a 3-2 lead, opening the floodgates.
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The team of Justin Rose, Sahith Theegala and Tommy Fleetwood needed just three more holes to clinch the match and the title.
Tiger says he’s “fine physically,” but could not get a rhythm. He hit one shot per hole for nine holes.
“When you’re actually playing a normal round of golf, hitting shots … Here it feels like I’m getting iced a bit at times,” he said. “It’s just a different rhythm.
Tiger Woods of Jupiter Links GC tees off during match against Los Angeles Golf Club during the TGL finals at SoFi Center on March 24, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
“I had a couple drives I had to hit and then a couple putts. For me, it was different because I haven’t really done this. I’ve been watching these guys do it. They make it look easy. I haven’t done it in a while. It was a lot of fun, though, to be a part of it.”
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As much as LA’s golfers enjoyed celebrating their first SoFi Cup, they all know there was something just as big happening on the other side.
“I think it was going to be a special night seeing him back,” Rose said. “Special night for golf. He does bring so much to it. I was just looking at it curious like yeah, it would be great to see where he’s at.”
Said Fleetwood: “Yeah, it’s Tiger Woods.”
And if you think Tiger Woods returning to a TGL match was special, wait to see what happens if he does attempt to make yet another comeback at the Masters.
Tom D’Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Tiger Woods says he wants to play Masters after TGL season debut
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