Tiger Woods Shares Shocking News That He's Recovered from Achilles Surgery and Will Play Masters — Almost

Tiger Woods started to give fans hope that he healed enough from a ruptured Achilles tendon to compete at the Masters next week — until they checked the date on the calendar.

“I can’t believe I am saying this, but a few weeks after rupturing my left Achilles, [then] sleeping in a hyperbaric chamber plus the explosive lifts my doctors and trainers have me ready to play the Masters next week!” the 49-year-old golf pro wrote on X on Tuesday, April 1. “Can’t wait! See y’all on the course.”

Woods was referencing the injury he sustained earlier this year while training. On Tuesday, March 11, he revealed on Instagram that he’d had successful surgery to repair a tear in his Achilles. But really, a month wasn’t long enough to fully heal. 

Six minutes after his initial post, Woods confirmed he was joking.

“P.S. April Fools my Achilles is still a mess,” he wrote on X with a smiley face. 

The humorous posts were a bit of levity for Woods, who has been navigating a wave of attention after the news broke that he and Vanessa Trump are dating. He later confirmed the relationship by posting a romantic photo with Trump, 47, on Instagram on Sunday, March 23. 

“Love is in the air and life is better with you by my side! We look forward to our journey through life together," Woods wrote in the caption, adding, "At this time we would appreciate privacy for all those close to our hearts."

Even with a romance in his life, this year has been a difficult one for the four-time PGA champion. 

In February, Woods’ mother died at the age of 81. 

After competing at a TGL match on March 4, Woods revealed how much her passing has affected him and his game.

“This is the third time I’ve touched a club since my mom passed, so I haven’t really gotten into it,” Woods told Sports Illustrated at the time. “My heart is really not into practicing right now. I’ve had so many other things to do with the Tour and trying to do other things.”

The golf legend announced that he injured his Achilles tendon weeks later, upending his chances of competing at the Masters Tournament, which begins on Monday, April 7. 

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“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,” Woods wrote on social media on March 11. 

He continued, “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.”

Woods quoted his doctor, who said that “the surgery went smoothly, and we expect a full recovery.”

Last year, the five-time Masters champion broke a new record when he made the cut for his 24th consecutive appearance at the tournament, according to the PGA Tour.