Correction added August 1, 2026: An earlier version of this article incorrectly presented Tiger Woods’ and Phil Mickelson’s Masters absences as a shared injury update and misstated the timing before the tournament. Their separate circumstances and the event timing have been corrected, and unsupported audience and broadcast speculation has been removed.
Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson did not play in the 2026 Masters, which began Thursday, April 9. The official invitee list named both among the past champions who were not playing.
Their absences should not be described as one injury story. Mickelson cited a family health matter. Woods was away from competition under separate circumstances after announcing a leave to seek treatment.
Why Phil Mickelson Missed the Masters
Mickelson said he would not play while his family navigated a personal health matter. He did not publicly disclose further details, so the reason should not be characterized beyond his statement.
Why Tiger Woods Missed the Masters
Woods’ absence followed his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence after a March 27 crash in Florida. He subsequently took an indefinite leave to seek treatment. This was not reported as an injury withdrawal.
Associated Press reporting from Masters week documented the separate circumstances and reported that it was the first Masters since 1994 without either Woods or Mickelson at Augusta National.
The Accurate Field Context
Both players are past champions whose names routinely draw attention during Masters week, but their absences did not establish how broadcasters would structure coverage, how ticket demand would move, or how betting markets would respond. Those claims were removed because they were not supported by the available sources.
The durable fact is narrower: two prominent past champions missed the same Masters for the first time in more than three decades, for different publicly reported reasons.