Tiger Woods played a cruel joke on those disappointed by his absence in the Masters on Tuesday, using April Fools’ Day as a way to troll fans over his most recent injury.
Earlier this month, Woods announced that he had undergone “minimally-invasive” surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon, which he noticed while training for the first major of the year.
Tiger Woods gets ready to tee off during the PNC Championship at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club Dec. 21, 2024. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)
“As I began to ramp up my own training and practice at home, I felt a sharp pain in my left Achilles, which was deemed to be ruptured,” he said in a statement on social media. “I am back home now and plan to focus on my recovery and rehab, thank you for all the support.”
Wood, 49, did not specify when he would return this year, and given his lengthy list of injuries, fans assumed it would be some time.
But on Tuesday, Woods announced he would be competing at Augusta National.
“I can’t believe I am saying this, but a few weeks after rupturing my left Achilles, the sleeping in a hyperbaric chamber plus the explosive lifts my doctors and trainers have me ready to play the Masters next week! Can’t wait! See y’all on the course,” he said in a post on X.
Tiger Woods hits a tee shot during the PNC Championship on Dec. 22, 2024. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)
But before fans could get too excited, the 15-time major winner revealed his prank.
“P.S. April Fools my Achilles is still a mess :)”
Despite the heartbreak, fans on social media responded well to the joke.
“I’m glad you still have a sense of humor… even though you’ve crushed many dreams this morning,” one user wrote.
“Walked right into this one. Nice shot Tiger,” another added.
Tiger Woods laughs during a match at SoFi Center on Feb. 18, 2025, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (IMAGN)
Woods has rebounded from a laundry list of injuries, but he hasn’t been the same since winning his last major in 2019 at the Masters. He had a sixth back surgery last September and has had issues with the Achilles tendon before. He also cited the left Achilles tendon in withdrawing from The Players Championship in 2011, when he was out for two months.
It’s unclear how long his latest injury will sideline him for this year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
