When will Tiger Woods come back?

That seems to be the question that is plaguing the minds of many golf fans around the world right now. But that question seemed to have gotten an unfortunate answer of sorts, all thanks to the field that was announced recently by the PNC Championship. Couple that with the 17-man field of the Hero World Challenge that was released back in October, and it’s almost certain that the golfer won’t be teeing up this year anymore. But no worries, the 15-time major champ, still has a chance to make it back to the field for the event in Albany.

The Hero World Challenge is set to kick off on December 5, Thursday, and will go on till December 8, Sunday. There are just two weeks left until the start of the Tiger Woods-hosted tournament. Interestingly, the event has yet to announce the three golfers who will be teeing it up with the rest of the field in the Bahamas. The chances are there that one of those three could be Woods as he staged his comeback for the HWC in the past as well.

READ: PGA Tour legend to debut at PNC Championship, not Tiger Woods

As of now, only a total of 17 golfers have been confirmed for the 20-man event. They include the likes of Scottie Scheffler, Ludvig Aberg, Wyndham Clark, Patrick Cantlay, Sahith Theegala, Keegan Bradley, Russell Henley, Robert MacIntyre, Sam Burns, Brian Harman, Sungjae Im, Tony Finau, Tom Kim, Aaron Rai, Billy Horschel, Matthieu Pavon, and Akshay Bhatia. Yes, you counted that right! Three more names are remaining for the number to reach 20!

Why isn’t Tiger Woods in the field? Well, we can only assume it’s due to the recent microdecompression surgery that he had to undergo back in September. It was done so to relieve the nerve impingement in his lumbar spine. Back then, he had revealed through his X handle that Dr. Sheeraz Qureshi of the Hospital of Special Surgery had performed the surgery to remedy the back pain that had plagued him throughout the season.

“The surgery went smoothly,” divulged Woods back in September. “I’m hopeful this will help alleviate the back spasms and pain I was experiencing throughout most of the 2024 season.” Maybe he hasn’t recovered as much as his fans had expected him to. And that might be why he isn’t yet on the list of teams that are set to tee off at the PNC Championship in December.

The PNC Championship recently released the teams who would be teeing it up at the PGA Tour Champions event in December. Unfortunately, out of the 18 teams that were confirmed, the father-son duo of Tiger Woods and Charlie Woods were not seen anywhere. But there seems to be yet hope for the legendary golfer and his son, for two spots remain in the 2024 edition of the event, which would be confirmed soon enough. The only question is whether the 48-year-old and his son would take the same.

But in the unfortunate of cases, if the golfer fails to make a comeback in both of these events, then the fans will only be able to catch him in TGL. Yes, that’s right. The same tech-infused league created by none other than Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy will kick off in January 2025. So Tiger Woods fans, keep your hopes up for the time being!

The 2021 car accident was the most brutal one that left Tiger Woods with many injuries.

After this one particular incident, the 48-year-old pro’s career was practically on a halt. Since then, Woods has undergone many surgeries to return to golf as he has always been. However, that part has been difficult, to say the least. Following his injuries, Woods always wore a leg sleeve to hide the scar and support his right leg. In July, though, the 82-time PGA Tour winner was spotted without one as he accompanied his son, Charlie Woods, at the US Junior Amateur.

It was expected that at least for now, Woods wouldn’t undergo another procedure. However, in September the 15-time major winner went through microdiscectomy, his sixth back surgery in the past decade. And it seems he has been recovering off the course as he missed the annual TW Invitational and TGR Jr. Invitational in October. Nonetheless, Woods was seen once again with Charlie Woods as the 15-year-old golfer competed at the Florida state championships.

READ: Tiger Woods Made Bryson DeChambeau Want ‘To Throw Up’; Ryder Cup Reality Following Legend’s Cold Shoulder Gets Revealed

This time, Woods had the leg sleeves again and the fans noticed that he was looking thinner and a bit pale. But, has he recovered enough to play the PNC Championship and the Hero World Challenge? The recovery period after microdiscectomy is usually 12 weeks and it has been only 11 weeks since Woods’s surgery. But seeing Woods’s condition, and accounting that his body has gone through way more than just one procedure, it may take more time for the 48-year-old to recover. Thus, it may not be feasible for the 15-time major winner to compete in both events.

Woods played the Hero World Challenge for the first time since his accident in 2023. On the other hand, he has not missed a single edition of the PNC Championship. But as other pairs have confirmed their seats at the event and the PGA Tour star still has not, it is possible that he may not play the event this year. There are at least three weeks for the Hero World Challenge to start and nearly a month for the PNC Championship. Who knows, the 5-time Masters winner may change his plans and tee up at both tournaments.

Last year, Tiger Woods did exactly that, he played the Hero World Challenge and finished 18th in the 20 pro field and after two weeks teed up at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club. He took a break from golf and then participated in the Genesis Invitational in February where his body was following as he would have expected. If Woods takes the risk to play two events, he may injure his back more.

How so? The subtalar joint in Woods’s right ankle has to be fused because of his accident and although it isn’t responsible for up & down movement, that joint allows the side-to-side movement. Since the 48-year-old has lost that ability in his ankle, the brunt of this pressure comes to his hips and subsequently, to his back as Robert Forster, Santa Monica-based physical therapist noted.

He underwent the microdecompression because of the pinched nerves, if he continues to have an active schedule throughout the year, this may become an issue for his back again. As Woods expressed last year, “I’m always sore. There’s nothing new there!” Hopefully, he will recover soon and play more events.

Charlie Woods, son of legendary golfer Tiger Woods, wrapped up his first round of the Class 1A Florida high school state championship on Tuesday at Howey-in-the-Hills.

Woods shot a 78, six shots over par, finishing with the 55th-best individual mark at states

Defending state champion Benjamin golf, composed of Woods and teammates Pavel Tsar, Andrew Tsar, Brooks Colton, and Jake Valentine, ended the first day in a three-way tie for 9th place with Lake Mary Prep and Lake Highland Prep.

READ: Tiger Woods and Ex-Wife Elin Nordegren Spotted Chatting at Son Charlie’s Golf Tournament

Woods shot a birdie on the 14th hole, a par 5, while bogeying on holes 7, 8, and 15.

He ran into some trouble on the 5th and 17th holes and ended those with double bogeys.

Entering state play, Woods tied four golfers for sixth place with a 71 at the regional championship. He, along with the other Benjamin golfers, are back at states trying to defend their Class 1A state title, though the first day leaves the Buccaneers with some ground to make up on Wednesday.

The PNC Championship isn’t where we see an exceptional display of skills, but also special bonds. At the tournament, parents tee off with their children to create a memorable moment on the greens.

John Daly is getting ready to play at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club; another golf legend is here to join him. No, it’s not Tiger Woods!

In the first week of September, Daly shared an update on Instagram where he confirmed his presence at the PNC Championship scheduled in December. Long John reshared an old clip of the PNC Championship and simply wrote, “Can’t wait. Coming soon. Daly double in December.” Now, Annika Sorenstam is joining John Daly. NUCLR GOLF shared a post on X and wrote, “Annika Sorenstam and son Will McGee commit to the PNC Championship in Orlando this December.”

READ: WATCH: Will Zalatoris on how Tiger Woods’ secret formula can help the average golfer

Amidst all this, Tiger Woods’s chances to play at the tournament are looking slim. Recently, Woods went through lumbar spine surgery for nerve impingement, and currently, he is “forward to tackling this rehab.” Last year, Team Woods finished in T5 after pulling an incredible comeback on the final day of the tournament. Although Tiger Woods indicated during the Open Championship that he would likely play in the PNC Championship in December, his recent surgery has disrupted those plans, making it highly unlikely he’ll compete in Orlando this December.

🚨☑️⛳️ #NEW: Annika Sorenstam and son Will McGee commit to the PNC Championship in Orlando this December pic.twitter.com/mydE9OruHD

— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) September 30, 2024

The Woods duo has never been able to win the PNC Championship, and it seems with other powerful duos confirming, and their confirmation still hanging out there, the dream might get postponed a year further. Annika Sorenstam, who joined the LPGA Tour in 1994 and boasts 72 tour victories and 10 major titles, is regarded as one of the greatest golfers in women’s history. However, at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, she won’t be competing as a legend but as the mother of young Will McGee. And who knows, this mother duo might create another memorable moment like last year.

Last year, when Sorenstam teed off with her son at the PNC Championship, it resulted in an unforgettable memory. After finishing T11 at the tournament, the mother-son duo was brought to tears. PGA Tour Champions shared a post on X captioning “An emotional interview with Will McGee and @ANNIKA59 after a special week @PNCChampionship.” In the interview, Will McGee said, “It’s the best week of my year and life,” while recalling the moment with his mother on the greens.

The LPGA legend said, “It’s so much fun; we had a good time together.” The pair were also on the on the verge of “happy tears” as they recounted the final day of the championship. Overall, it was an unforgettable memory for both of them, and they are looking forward to creating something worth remembering this time at the PNC Championship as well.

Tiger Woods dominated the greens during his prime and has 82 PGA Tour and 15 majors to his name.

When talking about his son, Charlie Woods it’s only natural for one to think of him as a celebrity child. However, Toby Harbeck, Woods Jr’s high school golf coach doesn’t see him as one but considers him a normal student instead.

It happened in March this year when the Benjamin school’s golf head coach Toby Harbeck talked about the State Championship. Tiger Woods attended the tournament as an audience. As it happened, Harbeck said “You know, we don’t call him Tiger. We call him Dad because he’s Dad,” saying that they don’t treat the 15-year-old as a celebrity golfer’s child but a normal student instead.

“And Charlie’s not Tiger Woods’ son, but he’s Charlie, and that’s the way they want it to be,” the head coach further added. Harbeck also talked about Woods and how he attends Charlie Woods’s golf matches saying “Tiger’s been there a lot — it’s great to have him watching. We were playing a match at home, 18 holes, and we finished shooting a course-record 15-under. Tiger’s sitting next to me and he goes, ‘What did we shoot, coach?’,” as revealed on the Palm Beach Post website.

After knowing the score the 15x major champion was happy and excitedly said, “Are you kidding me?” and later went to shake all of the players’ hands for their performances. During his time on the greens, Charlie Woods’s status causes him trouble sometimes.

However, it was worse in February when Woods Jr. was playing a PGA Tour qualifying event. The 15-year-old shot 16-over par 86. Following that fans harassed him as they walked alongside him on the fairways ignoring his personal space. When asked to give some space one fan yelled “Who are you? The fire marshal?”

Tiger Woods also appreciates the head coach as well. Initially, the golfer hugged the two teenage golfers who shot a 66 at the State Championship back in November last year. Following that when the team won the State Championship the golfer walked behind Harbeck and bear-hugged him offering this gesture as a thanks. As Woods Jr. faced difficulties on the PGA Tour qualifiers are things different for him on the high school greens?

Last year Golf.com interviewed Toby Harbeck and asked him how things are for Charlie Woods in high school. Harbeck who is also an English teacher was aware of everything. He shared a story from a random tournament from the 8th hole, a straight-away par-5 lined by condos down the right side in high school golf. “And I’m watching all these doors to the condos opening up and all these people come out because they knew he was there,” he said.

However, weather had disrupted the play and while all the players and coaches were seeking shelter Woods Jr. was still out on the greens signing autographs. Harbeck also talked about another tournament where the photographers tried to click photos without anyone noticing. While talking about it he said “Trust me, there are people in trees taking pictures. Microphones in his face.” As per some latest updates Woods Jr. isn’t part of the Golf Varsity Boys and Golf JV Boys teams.

Few have matched what Tiger Woods has achieved in his career.

Blades Brown is one of those few who have one record in common with the nine-time USGA champion. Brown matched Woods’s record of earning the stroke-play medalist honor in both the U.S. Amateur and the U.S. Junior Amateur.

Last year, Brown became the youngest co-medalist at the U.S. Amateur Championship. He was 16 when he edged past Benton Weinberg at Cherry Hills. The previous record belonged to Bob Jones. But Jones was 18. Woods of course took notice of Brown’s heroics.

READ: Tiger Woods photos show gruesome extent of injuries from near-fatal crash for first time

At Oakland Hills, Blades Brown, again matched what he did last August. Firing two rounds of 66 & 68, the Tennessean’s 2024 boys athlete of the year topped the leaderboard after 36 holes. Of course, that couldn’t have come at a better moment as Tiger Woods was also present in the field.

Woods’s 15-year-old son, Charlie, made his USGA debut at Oakland. The 15-time major winner flew straight to Bloomfield Township to accompany his son. After getting to know Brown matched his record, Tiger Woods wanted to congratulate him in person. The two posed for a picture after the round, as shared by Nuclr Golf from their X handle.

🚨🇺🇸🥇 Tiger Woods 🤝 Blades Brown@TWlegion | @BladesBrown2026 pic.twitter.com/9J0JHDbhSy

— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) July 24, 2024

Brown, of course, has a long way to go to take a piece of Woods’s USGA record. The former world no.1 six-peated at USGA—three U.S. Junior Amateur titles followed by three U.S. Amateur titles. Brown was eliminated in match play at Cherry Hills, however. At Michigan, Brown, son of former WNBA star, Rhonda Blades, just received a massive boost to bolster his hopes.

This has been a spectacular few months for the 2023 Tennessee Golf Association’s Player of the Year. He made his PGA Tour debut at the Myrtle Beach Classic tying for 26th. Brown, who had to switch to online classes because of golf, also has signed a deal with equipment giant, Callaway.

However, for the Woods father-son duo, it has been a rather stark contrast. The 82-time PGA Tour winner and his 15-year-old son have had a topsy-turvy year so far.

Tiger Woods could only make the trip because he missed the cut at Royal Troon, his last competitive appearance this year. The only flicker in an otherwise forgettable season was the first round at Augusta National in April. Similarly, Woods Jr. played his way into the U.S. Junior Amateur after earning the medalist honor in Coral Springs.

Woods Jr. opened with a round 12-over 82 spoiled by five doubles and four bogeys. TV cameras caught the 15-year-old holding his face in his palm for more than a minute inside the clubhouse. The second round started differently, but a storm halted play for over an hour. When it did resume, the teenager lost the steam.

Marred by a triple bogey on the 18th, Charlie Woods finished at 162 to miss the cut for match play. The 48-year-old could only watch as parents are not allowed to coach at the U.S. Junior Amateur.

A rough crowd of a thousand followed Woods Jr. and his father through the first 18 holes. After rain, that dwindled to half. Nevertheless, securities and marshals—increased to 18 after the first six holes—tried to control the crowd.

Tiger Woods came to Oakland Hills after an early exit from the Open, his third MC in a row. However, neither that nor his son’s heartbreak stopped the former world no.1 from congratulating an aspiring pro for his stellar achievement. The 48-year-old plans to tee off with his son at the 2024 PNC Championship, which he jokingly dubbed as the fifth major.