Tiger Woods was spotted walking around Mission Inn Resort last week, watching his son Charlie and the Benjamin School team capture the Florida High School State Golf Championship. That alone would be newsworthy for any golf fan. But here’s what caught everyone’s attention: He appeared to be moving pain-free.
For those of us who’ve watched Tiger grimace through every step at Augusta, who’ve seen him struggle to bend down and retrieve his ball from the cup, who’ve witnessed the visible toll his body has taken over the past decade, seeing him walk comfortably is significant. It’s the kind of detail that makes you sit up and take notice.
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Add to that Notah Begay III’s recent podcast appearance discussing Tiger’s future, and suddenly some in the golf world are buzzing again. Could 2026 be the year we see a relatively healthy Woods competing again? As someone who’s spent nearly three decades in this industry and 17 years as a PGA professional and coach, I’ve learned to temper expectations when it comes to Tiger’s health. But I’m also a fan. And right now, I’m allowing myself to hope.
Tiger Woods walks alongside Florida State golf head coach Trey Jones as they watch Charlie Woods compete at the Class 1A state championship on Nov. 15, 2025. Alexander Peterman / The Palm Beach Post / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
What Begay’s Comments Really Mean
Begay, one of Tiger’s closest friends, revealed something crucial in his podcast interview: the biggest obstacle isn’t Tiger’s ball-striking or physical conditioning. It’s the walking. Four competitive rounds plus practice days simply wear him down in ways that affect his game.
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According to Begay, Tiger’s ball speeds remain tour-caliber at 175-180 mph. He hits it great. He’s in tremendous shape for a 49-year-old who’s undergone seven back surgeries. The question is whether he can sustain that over 72 holes plus a pro-am without his body breaking down.
Begay suggested Tiger might target flatter venues like Hilton Head and Colonial, courses he’s historically avoided. That’s strategic thinking. That’s someone planning an actual schedule, not just making ceremonial appearances. For a player who’s always been meticulous about preparation, this signals intent.
The Disc Replacement Changes Everything
Tiger’s October 2025 lumbar disc replacement surgery at L4-L5 represents a fundamentally different approach than his 2017 spinal fusion. The fusion locked down L5-S1, eliminating motion at that segment. It saved his career and allowed him to win the 2019 Masters. But fusions create problems above the fused segment because the spine still needs to move somewhere.
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The artificial disc replacement preserves motion while decompressing nerves and providing stability. For a golfer who generates massive clubhead speed through rotation, maintaining that mobility matters enormously. This wasn’t just another back surgery. This was a calculated decision to preserve his ability to compete at the highest level.
Recovery takes time. Artificial discs need months to integrate with surrounding bone and tissue. But if it works as intended, Tiger could have something he hasn’t had in years: a back that allows him to practice and compete without constant pain management.
Why This Time Feels Different
I was at Augusta in 2019 when Tiger won his fifth green jacket. I was there again in 2022, 14 months after the car accident, watching him battle through every round. Those moments were incredible, but they were also clearly unsustainable. Tiger was competing through sheer willpower, his body screaming at him to stop.
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Tiger Woods celebrates after making a putt on the 18th green to win the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 14, 2019. Rob Schumacher / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
What makes 2026 different is the possibility of actual physical improvement rather than just mental toughness overcoming physical limitations. The disc replacement, combined with adequate recovery time and strategic course selection, could give Tiger something approaching a functional body again.
Will he ever be the Tiger of 2000? Of course not. But could he be healthy enough to compete in six to eight carefully selected events without destroying himself in the process? That’s starting to seem possible.
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The Fan’s Dilemma
Here’s my struggle as both a golf professional and a lifelong Tiger fan: I want to see him compete again, but I don’t want to watch him suffer. The 2022 Masters was simultaneously inspiring and heartbreaking. Every step looked painful. Every swing required compensations. He finished all four rounds through sheer determination, but at what cost?
If Tiger returns in 2026 and he’s genuinely moving better, if he’s playing because his body allows it rather than despite his body preventing it, that changes everything. That’s the Tiger we all want to see. Not the greatest player ever (those days are gone), but a competitive Tiger who can enjoy the game again without constant agony.
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What We Should Expect
Let’s be realistic. Tiger won’t play a full schedule. He’ll never play a full schedule again. But four majors plus a few carefully selected events on flatter terrain? That’s achievable if his health cooperates.
Hilton Head in April. Colonial in May. Courses where walking won’t destroy him. Venues where he can focus on golf rather than pain management. That’s the blueprint Begay outlined, and it makes sense.
Will Tiger contend? Will he win another major? Those are different questions with much longer odds. But could we see him make cuts, finish in the top 20 and occasionally flash the brilliance that made him the greatest player of our generation? I think so.
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The Bottom Line
Tiger Woods is all smiles as he watches his son Charlie Woods play for Benjamin School during the Class 1A state championship on Nov. 15, 2025. Alex Peterman / The Palm Beach Post / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Woods seeming to walk pain-free at Mission Inn Resort doesn’t guarantee anything. Recovery is unpredictable. Bodies are complicated, especially bodies that have been rebuilt as many times as his. But it’s a start. It’s hope. And for Tiger fans who’ve watched him battle through injury after injury, hope is something we haven’t had much of lately.
The speculation has begun. The golf world is watching. And somewhere, Tiger Woods is probably smiling at all the attention while quietly going about his rehabilitation, preparing for whatever comes next.
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I’m choosing optimism. After everything he’s overcome, after all the times he’s proved the doubters wrong, Tiger has earned that from us. If 2026 brings us a healthier Tiger Woods, even for a handful of events, that’s worth celebrating.
Here we go again. And honestly? I can’t wait to see what happens.
Related: Tiger Woods Not Ready for the Rocking Chair: Why Woods Will Skip the PGA Tour Champions (for Now)
Related: Tiger Woods: The Best, Worst and Most Likely Scenarios for What Comes Next
Related: Tiger Woods: A Medical Journey Through Triumph, Tragedy and Unwavering Determination
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Nov 21, 2025, where it first appeared in the Golf section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
