Tiger Woods comeback date 'leaks' as golf legend set for first appearance since turnover car crash

Tiger Woods could be back in action before the end of the year, with speculation mounting that he could feature at the 2026 Hero World Challenge in December.

Woods has not played golf since being involved in a rollover car crash in March. The 50-year-old subsequently announced he was “stepping away” from the game for a period after being arrested and charged with driving under the influence following the incident in Florida.

However, the 15-time major champion could return to the course before the end of the calendar year. The field for the 2026 Hero World Challenge was officially announced this week, with three places left open as “TBA tournament exemptions”.

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Tiger Woods comeback date ‘leaks’

There has been growing speculation about Woods’ potential return in recent weeks, with the American appearing in public more frequently than usual.

Woods has looked fit and healthy during recent appearances, although there had been no clear indication that he would return to competitive golf this year before the Hero World Challenge field was announced.

The 2026 tournament will run from Thursday, December 3, to Sunday, December 6, at Albany Golf Course in the Bahamas. This year’s field includes seven of the world’s top 10 players, while a statement from the event confirmed that “the remainder of the field will be announced at a later date”.

The three unconfirmed places have fuelled speculation that Woods could feature in the final lineup, although his participation has not been confirmed. Further details about the field are expected in the coming weeks.

If he does not compete in the Hero World Challenge, Woods could instead target a return at the Genesis Invitational at Riviera in February or the Masters in April.

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What is the Hero World Challenge?

The annual event, hosted by Woods in the Bahamas, invites 20 of the world’s leading golfers and benefits the TGR Foundation. Although it forms part of the PGA Tour schedule, it is an unofficial event and does not award official FedEx Cup points.

Scottie Scheffler is the standout name in this year’s field and has won the tournament twice. He will be joined by major champions Xander Schauffele, J.J. Spaun, Justin Thomas and Hideki Matsuyama.

Matsuyama won last year’s competition, claiming the title in the Bahamas for the second time.

Rory McIlroy, a close friend of Woods, has opted not to compete in the tournament for a fourth consecutive year.

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Hero World Challenge field

• Scottie Scheffler (1), USA
• Cameron Young (3), USA
• Matt Fitzpatrick (4), England
• Russell Henley (6), USA
• Chris Gotterup (7), USA
• Sam Burns (9), USA
• Xander Schauffele (10), USA
• Si Woo Kim (13), Republic of Korea
• J.J. Spaun (17), USA
• Robert MacIntyre (18), Scotland
• Justin Thomas (21), USA
• Ryan Gerard (22), USA
• Hideki Matsuyama (26), Japan
• Jacob Bridgeman (28), USA
• Tom Kim (30), Republic of Korea
• Sepp Straka (32), Austria
• Akshay Bhatia (33), USA
• TBA tournament exemption
• TBA tournament exemption
• TBA tournament exemption