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Scottie Scheffler might be at the cusp of a historic three-peat at Albany, but all eyes were on Tiger Woods. When he made a surprise appearance on the sidelines of the Hero World Challenge on Saturday, cameras followed him closely to see how he was moving after his seventh back surgery earlier this year. Despite being handed a realistic recovery timeline of three to six months, fans couldn’t help but wonder the expected just two months in.

As Woods was signing autographs for fans behind the ropes in The Bahamas, one of them asked, “Getting back anytime soon?” Woods didn’t seem to hear it the first time, and asked to repeat the question. When the fan asked again, the 49-year-old instantly shut down all speculation saying, “Nope.” The fan gave a sheepish laugh and walked away.

It was clear that he wouldn’t tee off in the PNC Championship. But some fans still hoped to see him in TGL because this time he underwent disc replacement and not fusion back in October, after experiencing lack of mobility and pain in his back. It was his second surgery of the year after a procedure in March for a ruptured left Achilles tendon.

“The scans determined that I had a collapsed disc in L4/5, disc fragments and a compromised spinal canal,” Woods wrote in a post back then. “I opted to have my disc replaced yesterday, and I already know I made a good decision for my health and my back.”

That said, the possibility of seeing the 82-time PGA Tour winner at his Genesis Invitational next year is pretty low, as per reports. And even if he does, whether his body would be able to sustain the pressure of four rounds is doubtful.

Now, Woods has faced this question before. In fact, he was asked about his comeback timeline at the Hero World Challenge press conference. The 15-time major champion, who will be eligible to tee off on the Senior Tour next year, joked that he would like to play 25 events in total on the PGA Tour and Champions Tour in 2026.

Meanwhile, another pro golfer also shared his two cents about Tiger Woods’ comeback.

Tiger Woods’s TGL teammate hints at his possible return schedule

According to Tiger Woods’s recovery schedule, he is not expected to return before The Playoffs of the second season of TGL. However, Kevin Kisner thinks Woods will be ready to swing much before his scheduled return.

“We’re hoping that he’ll come back and play the last few TGL matches with us later this spring, early March or so,” Kisner said. “It depends on how the rehab goes. I talked to Tiger a good bit, and he’s starting to feel a bit better. You’ve seen him moving around at Albany this week.”

It would be ideal for Tiger Woods to return to action by March 1, 2026. That’s when his team, Jupiter Links GC, will face off against Rory McIlroy‘s Boston Common Golf. The battle of the co-owners will be the perfect stage for the big cat’s return. But, as Kisner mentioned, “Hopefully he’s just pain-free, that’s the biggest key.” If Woods has recovered completely, then it will be an exciting match to watch.