Tiger Woods will not tee it up at Aronimink next week. The 15-time major champion remains in Switzerland for physical and psychological treatment that began in early April, extending an absence from competitive golf that now stretches back to July 2024.
The news, confirmed by Woods's camp and reported via the New York Post, ends any lingering speculation that the 50-year-old might surprise the field for the year's second major. The PGA Championship gets under way at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania on May 14, with Scottie Scheffler defending the Wanamaker Trophy. Woods will not be in the field.
Woods first stepped away publicly on March 31 with a brief, unusually direct statement that addressed both the cause and the timeline of his absence.
"I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in today," Woods said in his March statement. "I am stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health. This is necessary in order for me to prioritise my well-being and work toward lasting recovery."
The trigger for that statement was a March car accident in Florida that resulted in his arrest, after which Woods entered an in-patient programme at a facility in Zurich. A source briefed on his progress told the New York Post Woods is now receiving "both physical and psychological attention" as the treatment continues, and that he had only paid "casual attention" to the Masters last month.
Woods's absence from Augusta on April 9 was already historically significant. He had played 24 consecutive Masters Tournaments before that, a streak that included the 2019 win and his post-2021-crash comebacks. Rory McIlroy referenced him in the Champions Dinner without naming him directly.
"Unfortunately, there will be a couple of guys that won't be in that room, which is a shame," McIlroy said during Masters week, "but I want to make sure that they're acknowledged as well."
For the PGA Championship, this is now a second consecutive year without Woods. His last major start was the 2024 PGA at Valhalla, where he made the cut on the number before withdrawing from contention with a Friday 77. He has not started a PGA Tour event of any kind since the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon, where he missed the cut.
The knock-on effects extend past the leaderboard. Woods stepped down as the 2027 United States Ryder Cup captain on April 25, with the PGA of America installing Jim Furyk in his place to give the team continuity into the Adare Manor build-up. The captaincy decision was framed publicly as a logistical one tied to Woods's recovery timeline rather than a permanent withdrawal from team golf.
For now, the focus is narrower. Woods's team has not provided a target return date and has asked for privacy through the treatment programme. With Aronimink set for May 14 and the US Open at Pebble Beach in mid-June, the bigger question is no longer whether Woods plays this season but whether the most-watched player in the sport's modern era will compete on Tour again at all in 2026.