Tiger Woods will not compete at Augusta National this year, with the five-time Masters champion stepping away from golf to focus on his health and well-being following a car crash in Florida.

Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley confirmed Woods’s absence, describing the decision as one made with the full backing of the club and tournament officials. Ridley said the Masters stands behind Woods as he seeks treatment and prioritises his personal recovery over a return to competition.

Woods announced that he was stepping away from the sport for an unspecified period to seek professional help after the incident, in which he was charged with driving under the influence. While he has pleaded not guilty, he admitted to looking at his phone moments before the crash, an admission that has intensified scrutiny around his off-course life.

The 15-time major champion had initially left the door open for a possible appearance at Augusta, where he has produced some of the most iconic moments in modern golf, including his emotional 2019 victory. His withdrawal ends weeks of speculation that followed his tentative return to competitive action.

Woods recently played for Jupiter Links Golf Club in the TGL finals, his first competitive outing in more than a year. That performance fuelled optimism that he might be ready to tackle the physical and mental demands of the Masters, a tournament that has long been central to his legacy.

Instead, Augusta will proceed without one of its defining figures. Woods had also been expected to attend the Champions Dinner, a tradition that gathers past winners in an intimate celebration of the tournament’s history. His absence there will be felt as keenly as his absence inside the ropes.

Woods has not played an outdoor tournament since missing the cut at the Open Championship, and he also missed last year’s Masters due to injury. This latest setback extends a difficult chapter in a career that has been repeatedly interrupted by physical problems and personal turmoil.

For now, the focus shifts from whether Woods can contend again at Augusta to whether he can restore stability away from the course. Tournament officials, fellow players and fans will watch from a distance, hoping that the break he has chosen leads not just to another comeback, but to lasting recovery.