Tiger Woods announced Monday that he will not compete in next week’s Hero World Challenge, an unofficial tournament he is hosting in the Bahamas.
The 15-time champion revealed his decision in a statement on X. It was unexpected after Woods announced in mid-September that he had undergone what is believed to be his sixth back surgery.
“Disappointed that I won’t be able to compete in the Hero World Challenge, but always looking forward to hosting the tournament and spending the week with @HeroMotoCorp,” Woods wrote.
Woods said Justin Thomas, Jason Day and Nick Dunlap will receive exemptions in the 20-man field, which will be contested Dec. 5-8 at Albany Golf Club in New Providence, Bahamas. World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler is the defending champion.
Last year, Woods finished 18th even par, 20 strokes behind Scheffler. It was Woods’ first start in more than seven months. He was coming back from surgery to deal with post-traumatic arthritis in his ankle and foot, which was caused by injuries sustained in a car accident in February 2021.
Woods’ most recent procedure was micro decompression surgery of the lumbar spine to access the posterior nerve, which he hopes will eliminate the aches and pains he faced this past season.
The 82-time PGA Tour winner made five starts in 2024, missed three tournaments and withdrew from the Genesis Invitational due to illness. He finished 60 at the Masters, finishing among golfers who made the cut.
Woods, 48, has not said whether he will play in next month’s PNC Championship in Orlando, Florida, with his son Charlie.
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