Tiger Woods recently underwent surgery on his left Achilles tendon, raising questions about his future in professional golf. Woods has only played in a limited number of tournaments since 2020 due to injuries, sparking speculation about retirement.

Four-times major champion Rory McIlroy said on Wednesday he does not expect Tiger Woods, who had surgery this week for a ruptured Achilles tendon, to return to competition this year. Woods, 49, did not offer insight on the severity of his latest injury setback or a recovery timeline but McIlroy thinks the 15-times major winner has a long period of recuperation ahead of him.