Tiger Woods has dropped tremendously in the Official Golf World Rankings after his recent back surgery, as he will look to make a Masters appearance in 2026
12:42 ET, 21 Oct 2025Updated 13:20 ET, 21 Oct 2025
Tiger Woods drops below 2000 in world rankings(Image: Getty Images)
Tiger Woods’ future remains the source of much speculation after the 15-time major champion underwent his seventh back surgery just recently and he is now facing a new low in the world rankings.
Woods announced he had gone under the knife this month, insisting: “I already know I made a good decision for my health” with a close friend outlining his ambitions before he eventually calls time on his career.
He announced his most recent back injury on Twitter, stating: “After experiencing pain and lack of mobility in my back, I consulted with Doctors and Surgeons to have tests taken. The scans determined that I had a collapsed disk in my L4/5, disk fragments and a compromised spinal canal.
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“I opted to have my disk replaced yesterday, and I already know I made a good decision for my health and my back.”
As his injury absence continues, Woods continues to drop down the world rankings and is now sitting below the world’s top 2000 golfers, placed at 2,048.
Woods was expected to be playing in the season opener of the TGL in January. He told his teammates and fans that he would be there on January 13, but never promised he would be swinging a club.
He is set to return to the course next year, and will hope to make a run for his sixth Masters title and Green Jacket. But the latest drop is a new low, given he was world No. 1 for 683 weeks of his career. The longest consecutive amount of time he was world No. 1 was 281 weeks.
He was last ranked world No. 1 in May of 2014, and the world ranking system runs on a two year cycle. He also has a chance to drop completely out of the ranking system completely if he doesn’t make an appearance on the course before the 2026 Masters.
Woods’ drops tremendously in world rankings
Amid his ongoing absence, a close friend of Woods’ told the Daily Mail: “He’s not stupid. He knows things are winding down, and he’s coming to terms with it. He’s turning 50 this year.
“He won’t retire but he’s slowing down,” the source explained. “He wants to do at least one more major and to perform well in it. He wants to end the career with a bang, not a whimper. But right now, we’ll have to see.
“He wants to push himself until there’s nothing more he can do,” Woods’ friend said. “It depends on his recovery if he’s there yet or not. Seems pretty likely that he is.”
