Tiger Woods has raised concern among golf fans with his appearance in a social media video announcing a new golf course in Augusta.
It was announced Monday that the 49-year-old will design a par-3 municipal course and build a new learning center in Augusta, Georgia.
Woods missed the iconic Masters Champions Dinner at Augusta on Tuesday night and won’t be at the tournament this year as he continues his recovery from the Achilles tear that has plunged his career into fresh doubt.
It is the second time he has missed the event – the first was in 2021 when it was held two months after the serious car accident where he could have lost his leg.
But his appearance in a video promoting his new course has given fans cause for concern, with some suggesting his face looked ‘puffy’.
In the video, Woods said: ‘What an honor to be here and to have this moment, to be able to be part of Augusta National but just in a different way.
Tiger Woods has raised concern among golf fans with his appearance in a social media video
‘To have the ability to be able to design something that’s going to impact the community, something that I truly believe in, and be able to do this with Augusta National, what an honor.
‘So thank you so much for allowing us to be able to air this with you. It’s a momentous day for all of us at the TGR Foundation.
‘To be able to do this in conjunction with Augusta, to be able to be bi-coastal and do something at a place that has meant so much to me in my lifetime.’
Other fans commented: ‘He is not looking well.’
Another added: ‘What is going on with his face?’
A third commented: ‘Has he been bitted by a bee or something?’
Woods announced in early March that he had surgery to repair an Achilles rupture after hurting himself practicing at home.
The 15-time Major winner, who boasts five triumphs at Augusta, gave no timeline on when he expects to be able to compete again.
But days after the announcement, Daily Mail exclusively revealed that the golfing great was dating Vanessa Trump – the ex-wife of President Trump’s son Donald Jr.
Woods, pictured with girlfriend Vanessa Trump, stayed away a month after his Achilles tear
President Trump also revealed that Woods, who he played a round of golf with in February before the Super Bowl in New Orleans, told him that he had was dating Vanessa.
‘He told me about it, and I said, “Tiger, that’s good, that’s good. I’m very happy for you both.” Just let them both be happy. Let them both be happy. They’re both great,” Trump told reporters from the Oval Office earlier this month.
Four days before Woods met with Trump for that February round, the golfer announced the heartbreaking death of his mother, Kultida, at the age of 80.
It prompted Woods to withdraw from the Genesis Invitational the following week, explaining that he wasn’t mentally ready for the event.
The five-time Masters champion’s involvement in the project will expand his imprint on the Georgia city where he experienced his greatest triumphs as a player.
The Augusta National-funded renovation of Augusta Municipal Golf Course — known as the Patch for the vegetable gardens that once abutted the property — was a surprise even to the facility’s general manager and head professional when it was announced two years ago.
The Patch closed at the end of December for a planned 15-month rebuild overseen by architects Tom Fazio and Beau Welling.
The heartbreaking death of his mother, Kultida, prompted Woods to withdraw from the Genesis Invitational in February
The 2025 Masters Champions dinner was notable for the absence of the legendary Woods
The municipal course — adjacent to an airport where Masters competitors arrive on private jets — is scheduled to reopen next April.
And when it does, it will have nine new short holes created by one of the sport’s greatest players.
The par-3 course will be known as the Loop at the Patch in honor of the Augusta National caddies who gathered there to play golf — an opportunity they did not enjoy at the exclusive club about 5 miles to the north.
Short courses have become a significant part of Woods’ design portfolio. His first U.S. design, Bluejack National, includes a 10-hole short course called the Playground with holes ranging in length from 35 to 105 yards. He also designed a short course across the street from Pebble Beach that opened in 2021.
