Tiger Woods and his girlfriend Vanessa Trump have been no-shows at the Masters, despite the legendary golfer’s storied history with the tournament and Vanessa’s interest in the sport.
But why?
For starters, Woods is dealing with a serious injury. According to USA Today, Woods skipped the Masters for the first time since 2021.
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On March 11, the golfing legend revealed on X that he had ruptured his Achilles tendon.
“As I began to ramp up my own training and practice at home, I felt a sharp pain in my left Achilles, which was deemed to be ruptured,” he wrote.
“This morning, Dr. Charlton Stucken of Hospital for Special Surgery in West Palm Beach, Florida performed a minimally-invasive Achilles tendon repair for a ruptured tendon. ‘The surgery went smoothly, and we expect a full recovery,’ added Dr. Stucken. I am back home now and plan to focus on my recovery and rehab, thank you for all the support.”
But there’s another reason they didn’t want to show up anyway, according to Daily Mail. They didn’t want the hoopla surrounding their relationship to overshadow the event, the site reported.
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“He saw the media brouhaha when it came out that he and Vanessa were dating, and he didn’t want to bring that to Augusta,” a source told Daily Mail.
“It would become a sideshow, and Tiger now tries to avoid as many circuses as possible. He views Augusta – and the Masters specifically – as sacred ground, and he doesn’t need to turn it into something all about Tiger Woods” and Vanessa Trump, the source told Daily Mail, adding that the couple’s kids are still getting used to their relationship.
A source added to the publication that the Masters “is all about tradition and not to parade an agenda or your new girlfriend. Tiger doesn’t want to be a distraction especially since he isn’t playing.” As a result, he and Trump also skipped the traditional dinner.
On March 23, 2025, Woods shared two pictures showing him embracing and posing with Trump and confirmed their relationship on X.
“Love is in the air and life is better with you by my side! We look forward to our journey through life together. At this time we would appreciate privacy for all those close to our hearts,” he wrote.
