Rory McIlroy does not expect Tiger Woods to return until 2026 after surgery: ‘It sucks’

Woods revealed on Tuesday that he has undergone surgery for a ruptured Achilles tendon

Rory McIlroy does not expect to see Tiger Woods return to action until 2026 after the 15-time major winner suffered another injury setback.

Woods is yet to compete on the PGA Tour this season and revealed on Tuesday that he has undergone surgery for a ruptured Achilles tendon while preparing for a possible return to action in April’s Masters.

“It sucks,” McIlroy said when asked for his reaction ahead of the Players Championship at Sawgrass.

“He doesn’t have much luck when it comes to injuries and his body. Obviously he was trying to ramp up to get ready for Augusta, and Achilles surgeries obviously aren’t fun. Hoping he’s in good spirits and hoping he’s doing okay.

“We obviously won’t see him play golf this year, and hopefully we see him maybe play in 2026.”

Asked if Woods could be competitive when he returns, McIlroy added: “He’ll try. I know he’ll try. But that’s a question for him, not for me. I obviously don’t know what’s in his head. But judging by prior behaviour, he’ll definitely try.”

McIlroy’s estimated timeline for Woods to return to action chimes with the opinion of consultant chartered physiotherapist Sammy Margo, who told the PA news agency how long the 49-year-old is likely to be sidelined for.

“The immediate post-surgery phase is up to two weeks, when you’re not mobilising and you’re not weight-bearing,” Margo said.

“Then the early rehab is about two to six weeks when you’re gradually taking some load, and then you move up to a bit more weight-bearing in a protective boot from about six to 12 weeks and then you start to move on from about three to six months.

“Typically, for a professional athlete like Tiger Woods, the recovery timeline would be four to six months basic recovery, six to nine months for a return to professional competition and probably around about 12 months for full recovery and optimal performance.

“I’m not a betting woman but it’s likely he’s not going to return to competitive golf until 2026. This isn’t a minor sprain, this is a serious breakage.”

Woods has defied the odds in returning from numerous injuries throughout his career, including returning to action after coming close to losing his right leg in a car accident four years ago.

However, he has struggled to fulfil even a limited schedule in recent years and completed 72 holes in just one of the five official events he started in 2024.

“He’s obviously going to dedicate himself to his recovery and I’m sure he’s doing all that he can do,” Margo added. “You can optimise the conditions for healing, but you cannot defy nature.

“There are natural timeframes for recovery at a given age, even if you are a professional athlete. The rate of healing at the age of 49 is substantially slower than at the age of 23.

“You have to also consider that Tiger has had a fair amount of other injuries on the lead-up to this, so no matter how good you are, nature does take its course.”