Woods Sits Out TGL Semifinals, McIlroy Confirms He’ll Play Despite Back Issues

Golf legend Tiger Woods will not participate in Tuesday's TGL semifinal match for Jupiter Links against Boston Common. Co-founder Rory McIlroy has committed to playing for Boston Common despite dealing with recent back spasms.

Golf icon Tiger Woods will be absent from Tuesday’s TGL semifinal showdown between Jupiter Links and Boston Common, raising questions about whether the 15-time major winner will compete at all during the indoor golf league’s second season.

Meanwhile, TGL co-founder Rory McIlroy has confirmed his participation for Boston Common on Tuesday, after initially being uncertain following his 46th-place finish at The Players Championship this past Sunday. McIlroy has been managing back spasms that caused him to pull out of the Arnold Palmer Invitational two weeks prior.

Jupiter Links will field Max Homa, Akshay Bhatia and Tom Kim in the 9 p.m. ET showdown against McIlroy, Keegan Bradley and Adam Scott at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. The evening’s action begins at 6:30 p.m. with defending champions Atlanta Drive facing off against Los Angeles Golf Club in the opening semifinal.

Justin Thomas won’t compete for Atlanta after participating in back-to-back tournaments following a four-month break due to back surgery recovery. Los Angeles will be without Collin Morikawa, who pulled out before The Players Championship’s opening round because of his own back problems.

Atlanta’s lineup includes Patrick Cantlay, Chris Gotterup and Billy Horschel, while Los Angeles counters with Tommy Fleetwood, Sahith Theegala and Justin Rose.

The championship finals, scheduled to begin March 23 in a best-of-three format, may be Woods’ last chance to compete alongside his teammates this season.

The 50-year-old Woods has been recovering since his seventh back operation in October and hasn’t indicated whether he plans to compete in next month’s Masters Tournament. Some speculation arose about a possible Jupiter Links appearance after his private aircraft was reportedly seen at Augusta Regional Airport during the weekend.

Woods had Achilles surgery in March 2025 and hasn’t competed since the 2024 PNC Championship alongside his son Charlie. His last PGA Tour appearance was at the 2024 Open Championship.