Tiger Woods’ absence from PGA Tour events and major championships has left a frown on the face of the golf world, as fans wait for his comeback. The 15-time major champion has recently showcased his swing in TGL, but the question is, will he tee up in the upcoming 2026 American Express?

This year’s American Express at La Quinta in California will be the second event in the Tour’s schedule. Fans will witness the action from three courses: the PGA West Stadium Course, the La Quinta Country Club, and the Nicklaus Tournament Course.

The 156-man field of this $9,200,000 event, fighting for 500 FedEx Cup points, will be headlined by World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. Despite the tour winners’ presence in the full field, Tiger Woods will not tee off at the 2026 American Express.

The 82-time PGA Tour winner has been staying away from competition after he missed the cut at the 2024 Open. In September of that year, the Cypress Native underwent microdiscectomy and was scheduled to make his comeback in 2025. Although he played the inaugural season of TGL, Tiger Woods’ Tour return faced a setback with his mother Kultida’s death.

After that, the former World No. 1’s return became uncertain after he ruptured his Achilles Tendon in March and underwent surgery. Tiger Woods also underwent another microdiscectomy in October 2025, which has delayed his comeback to competition. His latest TGL appearance only included him attending the event.

When will Tiger Woods make his comeback?

In December, Tiger Woods attended the Hero World Challenge press conference at Nassau, Bahamas. While responding to a reporter, the world-class golfer stated that he felt thankful he did not undergo a fusion since it takes a longer time to heal.

In his statement, Woods shared his thoughts on competing in professional golf tournaments again and stated (quotes taken via PGA Tour):

“I’m just looking forward to just let me get back to playing again, let me do that and then I’ll kind of figure out what the schedule is going to be. I’m a ways away from that part of it and that type of decision, that type of commitment level.”

The five-time Masters champion further shared how he would plan once he gets back on the groove. He said in the conference:

“…Once I get a feel for practicing, exploding, playing, the recovery process, then I can assess where I’m going to play and how much I’ll play…”

Amid Tiger Woods’ absence, speculation has arisen regarding the golfer’s potential inclusion in the PGA Tour Champions roster. A senior circuit event in Wisconsin even invited Woods to play in it after the golfer turned 50 in December. In the pre-tournament press conference in the Bahamas, he stated that he did not delve in-depth into the PGA Tour Champions schedule apart from a few events.