In less than two months, Tiger Woods could tee it up again at historic Augusta National. 

The five-time Masters champion did not rule out a return to the major after skipping it last year. When reporters asked Tuesday if he could compete at the Masters in April, Woods replied without elaboration, “No.”

Woods made the cut at the Masters for a record 24th time in a row in 2024. He is leaving the door open despite recovering from his seventh back surgery, a procedure to replace a disk, and a near-term schedule that does not appear to include competitive golf.

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Tiger Woods of the United States laughs during a practice round prior to the 2024 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 09, 2024 in Augusta, Georgia. (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

“I thought I spent a lot of hours practicing in my prime,” Woods said at the Genesis Invitational, alluding to the responsibilities he shares in trying to reshape the PGA Tour schedule. “It doesn’t compare to what we’ve done in the boardroom.”

Woods’ workload will likely factor into whether he takes on the U.S. captaincy for the 2027 Ryder Cup in Ireland. He declined the role two years ago, citing a lack of time to commit to the job in a meaningful way.

TIGER WOODS OFFERS FIRST PUBLIC COMMENTS SINCE LATEST BACK SURGERY AMID GROWING CONCERN OVER GOLF RETURN

Woods celebrated his 50th birthday at the end of last year, making him eligible for the PGA Tour Champions.

He missed every PGA Tour event last year, marking the first time in Woods’ storied career that he did not compete in a single tournament. He also has yet to compete in the indoor TGL league. 

“Well, I’m trying — put it that way,” he said, adding that he can hit full shots but not every day “and not very well.”

Tiger Woods celebrates during the trophy presentation after winning the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 14, 2019, in Augusta, Georgia. (Allen Eyestone/The Augusta Chronicle)

He had surgery in March 2025 for a ruptured Achilles tendon, which is no longer holding him back. He said his lower back was sore, and at his age, “It’s probably going to take me a little bit longer.”

“My body has been through a lot,” Woods said. “Each and every day, I keep trying, I keep progressing, I keep working on it, trying to get stronger, trying to get more endurance in this body and trying to get it at a level at which I can play at the highest level again.”

His chief interest is indoors. He is on the board of the PGA Tour and the commercial PGA Tour Enterprises, heading the “Future Competition Committee” that is trying to create a model to meet CEO Brian Rolapp’s goal of fewer tournaments that are more meaningful for the best players.

Tiger Woods of Jupiter Links Golf Club waves to fans as he is introduced at the start of a match of the TMRW Golf League (TGL) against Boston Common Golf, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

The only thing clear is that a new model most likely won’t be ready by 2027. The committee has reached agreement on a big start to the season — that could be the week after or before the Super Bowl — taking the big events to bigger markets and becoming the must-see sport of the summer.

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Woods also expressed his belief in the importance of creating a path for the next group of golf stars.

“We’re trying to create opportunities for that turnover … to get more youth out here because eventually they’re going to take over the game,” Woods said. “So trying to create that opportunity, trying to create the right competitive model and the environment to foster that, that’s been the greater challenge of it all.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Ivan Toney leaves the door open for a move back to the Premier League, Liverpool have no plans to sell Dominik Szoboszlai, but Nick Woltemade keen for a move back to the Bundesliga.

Al-Ahli’s 29-year-old England striker Ivan Toney has left the door open for a move back to the Premier League. (Sky Sports), external

Liverpool have no plans to sell Dominik Szoboszlai despite speculation linking the Hungary midfielder with Real Madrid, with talks progressing over a new contract for the 25-year-old. (Teamtalk), external

Germany striker Nick Woltemade is unhappy at Newcastle and the 24-year-old would welcome a move back to Stuttgart or Bayern Munich. (Bild – in German), external

Manchester United have no intention of lowering their £26m asking price for 28-year-old England forward Marcus Rashford, who is on loan at Barcelona. (Mail), external

Nicolas Jackson and Chelsea will evaluate their options in the summer with Bayern Munich not expected to trigger an obligation to buy the 24-year-old Senegal striker during his season-long loan in Germany. (Mail – subscription required), external

Sunderland will try to sign a new striker this summer to replace 25-year-old French forward Wilson Isidor, who wants to leave the club. (Football Insider), external

Atletico Madrid want Argentina striker Julian Alvarez to sign a new contract but the 26-year-old’s preferred destination is Barcelona. (Sport – in Spanish), external

Tottenham, Crystal Palace and West Ham are among the clubs keen on signing Real Madrid’s 32-year-old Germany defender Antonio Rudiger this summer. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external

Nottingham Forest‘s 23-year-old Brazil defender Murillo has emerged as a key target for Chelsea but the Reds’ asking price is around £70m. (Caught Offside), external

Everton are set to reject any approach for 27-year-old English midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall this summer amid interest from Tottenham. (Football Insider), external

Former England forward Jesse Lingard, 33, is on the verge of joining Brazilian side Remo after leaving FC Seoul in January. (Sun), external

Match Details

Fixture: Alexandra Eala vs Sorana Cirstea

Date: Thursday, February 19, 2026

Tournament: Dubai Tennis Championships

Round: Third Round

Category: WTA 1000

Venue: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Surface: Hard (outdoor)

Prize Money: $4,088,211 (total prize pool)

Live Telecast: USA – Tennis Channel | UK – Sky Sports | Canada – TSN, TVA Sports, DAZN, WTA TV

Alexandra Eala vs Sorana Cirstea preview

Alexandra Eala will take on Sorana Cirstea in the third round of the Dubai Open on Thursday.

Eala has had a hectic season so far. After a semifinal appearance in Auckland, she reached the quarterfinals in Abu Dhabi and Manila. The Filipino also participated in the Australian Open, but lost to Alycia Parks in the first round.

Eala entered Dubai after a first-round exit in Doha. She started her campaign by cruising past Hailey Baptiste and Jasmine Paolini in the initial few rounds. The 20-year-old defeated Paolini in one hour and 40 minutes, 6-1, 7-6(5).

Meanwhile, Sorana Cirstea has made a good start to the season. After a third-round exit in Brisbane, she reached the second round in Melbourne and clinched the title in Cluj-Napoca. The Romanian defeated Emma Raducanu in the final, 6-0, 6-2.

Cirstea started her campaign in Dubai with brilliant wins over Aliaksandra Sasnovich and Linda Noskova in the first two rounds. She defeated Noskova in one hour and 10 minutes, 6-1, 6-4. The 35-year-old has yet to drop a set this week.

Alexandra Eala vs Sorana Cirstea head-to-head

Cirstea leads the head-to-head against Eala 1-0. She defeated the Filipino in the 2024 Madrid Open.

Alexandra Eala vs Sorana Cirstea odds

BetMGM sources all the odds.

Alexandra Eala vs Sorana Cirstea prediction

Eala has been locked in and kept herself busy since the start of the season. The Filipino will be brimming with confidence after taking out the sixth seed in the previous round.

Meanwhile, Cirstea has announced her retirement from tennis at the end of this year. The Romanian showed her class to win in Cluj-Napoca and will be tough to beat in the Dubai Open this year.

Eala will bring her top-spin heavy groundstrokes and dynamic movement to the fore. On the other hand, Cirstea will look to stamp her authority from the baseline and outsmart her opponent on the court.

The Filipino will be up against an experienced opponent, who seems to be at the top of her game this week. She has the pedigree to come out on top, but may go down fighting in the third round.

Pick: Cirstea to win in three sets.

Alexandra Eala vs Sorana Cirstea betting tips

Tip 1: Match to have more than 20 games.

Tip 2: Eala to save more than five break points.