McIlroy does not expect Woods return until 2026

The Players Championship 2025

Venue: TPC Sawgrass Date: 13-16 Mar

Coverage: Live radio and text commentaries of the third and fourth rounds. Follow and listen on the BBC Sport website, app, 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds from 19:30 GMT on 15 March and from 18:00 on 16 March

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy says he does not expect to see Tiger Woods play again this year after the 15-time major winner's latest injury setback.

On Tuesday 49-year-old Woods had surgery on a ruptured Achilles tendon.

The American has played a reduced schedule since suffering serious leg injuries in a car crash in 2021, and has not played in a PGA Tour event since The Open in July.

"It sucks," said McIlroy, who faced Woods in January in the technology-driven Tomorrow's Golf League (TGL) they co-founded.

"He doesn't have much luck when it comes to injuries and his body.

"Achilles surgeries obviously aren't fun. [I'm] hoping he's in good spirits and hoping he's doing OK.

"We obviously won't see him play golf this year, and hopefully we see him maybe play in 2026."

Asked if he thought Woods would return to competitive golf, four-time major champion McIlroy said: "I don't know what's in his head. But, judging by prior behaviour, he'll definitely try."

McIlroy has been largely injury-free since rupturing an ankle ligament in 2015, which forced him to miss the defence of his Open title.

Speaking before the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass starting on Thursday, the 35-year-old said he intends to retire with a "little bit left in the tank".

"I can acknowledge how lucky golfers are to be able to do what they do for so long compared to other athletes, so whenever I feel like the time is right, I'll have no problem moving aside and letting the next generation do their thing," said McIlroy.

"When I've achieved everything I want to achieve in the game and I get to the point where I don't think I can maybe do that any more.

"I don't want to be out there embarrassing myself. I'd like to walk away maybe a little before I should.

"There's always one more, but that's OK. If you can come to terms with that and walk away on your own terms, then that's a good thing."

Asked about the prospect of playing on the Champions Tour, he said: "Absolutely not. I will not play Champions Tour golf.

"I've said a lot of absolutes in my time that I've walked back, but I do not envision playing Champions Tour golf.

"Something has gone terribly wrong if I have to compete at golf at 50."

McIlroy won his 27th PGA Tour title at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am last month, and finished tied for 17th and 15th in his two tournaments since - the Genesis Invitational and Arnold Palmer Invitational respectively.

"The two finishes post-Pebble have been almost like the worst that they could be," said McIlroy.

"I finished bad on Sunday at Bay Hill. I finished bad on Sunday at Torrey Pines as well.

"But the one thing I would say is from the turnaround in my putting from Torrey to Bay Hill was great. I finished fifth in putting last week, so to see that turnaround was really encouraging.

"That's something for me to be really encouraged about going into this week and then the next few months."

World number two McIlroy, who won the Players Championship in 2019, will tee off alongside world number one and defending champion Scottie Scheffler and world number three Xander Schauffele at 17:29 GMT on Thursday.