Did Donald Trump spoil Tiger Woods’ Masters announcement? What President said about legend's status for Augusta

With the 2026 Masters approaching, one of the biggest storylines has been the status of Tiger Woods.

Injury setbacks have kept Woods from competing for some time — until his recent TGL appearance, it had been months since fans got a chance to see the star golfer in action. But that return, albeit in different fashion than a PGA Tour major, then raised the question: Is Woods going to be on the greens at Augusta National?

Of all people, President Donald Trump appeared to recently throw some cold water on Woods' status for the Masters during a call-in to Fox News.

Here's what Trump said about Woods playing at the 2026 Masters.

MORE: Everything to know about Tiger Woods' 2026 Masters status

Will Tiger Woods play at The Masters?

Woods' status hasn't yet been made official for the 2026 Masters. He's been asked about his injury recovery recently, saying he wasn't yet sure if he was healthy enough to compete.

"Sometimes I have good days, sometimes I have bad days. Disk replacement is not a lot of fun ... I’ve had a lot of procedures prior to that, so the body doesn’t quite heal like it did when I was 24. Doesn’t quite bounce back," Woods told reporters in March. "So I have good days when I can pretty much do anything, and other days where it’s hard to just move around."

At the very least, Woods was able to compete in TGL recently, a good sign for his recovery. There was some public speculation that the star would return at the Masters — the official Masters website has said: "Tiger Woods is making his 27th Masters start in 2026." However, being a past champion, Woods is automatically invited to play in the Masters, so that can't be taken as a sign of his participation in 2026.

The latest sign that Woods may be sitting out the Masters came from an unexpected place recently: President Donald Trump.

What did Donald Trump say about Tiger Woods?

On Thursday, Trump called in to "The Five" on Fox News. During his appearance, Woods came up, and Trump said the golfer would not be participating in the 2026 Masters. 

“I love Tiger," Trump said. "He’ll be there, but he won’t be playing in it.”

Woods' status for the Masters hasn't yet been confirmed, but Trump appeared to be dropping the hint that he knew something others do not.

Donald Trump-Tiger Woods relationship

Trump and Woods also have a known relationship, and for multiple reasons. Woods was recently invited to Trump's "College Sports Roundtable" discussion at the White House, but was not in attendance.

In 2019, Trump awarded Woods with a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019.

President Trump welcomes legendary golfer @TigerWoods to the White House: "TIGER! TIGER! TIGER!" pic.twitter.com/Y73WJVzi52

Additionally, Woods is actively dating Trump's former daughter-in-law, Vanessa Trump.

🚨🐅♥️ Tiger takes some family photos at Riviera alongside his girlfriend Vanessa Trump and her daughter, Kai. pic.twitter.com/8lzTjQiYeK

Latest Tiger Woods injury update

Woods suffered a torn Achilles in March 2025, then underwent lumbar disk surgery in his back in October 2025, which further delayed his return to competitive golf. He lasted participated in the Masters in 2024, and he last played competitive golf in July 2024 at the 2024 Open Championship.

Recently, Woods was able to participate in some TGL action, giving him an opportunity to ramp back up a bit. But after saying in March that he has "days where it’s hard to just move around," it's expected to be a slow recovery for Woods. 

"My body has been through a lot. It’s one of those things, each and every day I keep trying, keep progressing and working on it," Woods told reporters in February. "I’m trying to get this body at a level where I can play at the highest level again."

MORE: Where Tiger Woods' 1997 Masters win ranks among SN's top 140 moments