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Tiger Woods just played one of his best practical jokes yet—and golf fans almost fell for it.

On April Fools’ Day, the 15-time major champion took to social media with a post that sent the golf world into a frenzy: a fake announcement that he was medically cleared to play the 2025 Masters, barely a month after Achilles surgery.

Did you fall for it?

The Ultimate Golf Troll

Woods, still recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered during training in March, cheekily claimed his doctors and trainers had miraculously prepped him for Augusta. The post was classic Tiger—dry, unexpected, and perfectly timed to mess with everyone.

Because let’s be real: Even for a guy who once won a U.S. Open on a broken leg, returning from Achilles surgery in four weeks would require actual superpowers.

The Reality Check

Woods underwent surgery on March 11, and typical recovery for this injury involves three to four weeks of immobilization, followed by six to nine months before full activity. Even with his elite medical team, playing competitive golf this soon would be like asking him to fist-fight Thor.

Fred Couples, who’s been in touch with Woods, recently said Tiger’s in “great spirits” but acknowledged the obvious: “People think, ‘When’s he going to play?’ … It’s such a bummer.”

The Bigger Picture

This marks the first time Woods will miss the Masters since 2021, when he was recovering from his horrific car crash. His last official PGA Tour start was at the 2024 Open Championship, though he did compete in the TGL’s debut season before this latest setback.

So while we won’t see him at Augusta next week, at least we got a reminder that Tiger’s sense of humor is still intact…I think.

The Masters begins April 10—just without any surprise Tiger comebacks.