Tiger Woods' former caddie speaks out on retirement fears after golf legend's latest injury setback READ MORE: Tiger Woods shares devastating health update before The Masters By LEOCCIANO CALLAO Published: 17:09 GMT, 12 March 2025 | Updated: 17:17 GMT, 12 March 2025 Tiger Woods' former Caddie, Billy Foster, doubts that the golfing legend will retire despite suffering a major setback ahead of the Masters in April. Woods, 49, confirmed that he ruptured his Achilles tendon and will be sidelined for a long time due to the injury. In a social media statement, Woods shared that '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. '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. 'I am back home now and plan to focus on my recovery and rehab, thank you for all the support.' The Achilles tear comes amid an injury-plagued decade for Woods. The mishaps have led fans to think his days on the course are over. Tiger Woods' former caddie Billy Foster thinks the golfer won't retire after his Achilles tear Tiger Woods revealed that he has suffered an Achilles rupture in a shock statement Tuesday Rory McIlroy backs Tiger Woods to make a return to competitive golf after his latest injury setback However, Foster, who caddied for woods at the 2005 Presidents Cup, insisted that the four-time PGA Championship winner would walk away from the sport for good. 'Tiger can still win on the tour, but he needs to play eight to ten events a year,' Foster told Genting Casino. 'His leg is obviously very bad but if he can get any sort of strength in it, and can start playing just a handful of tournaments more than he has, he can still compete and I still believe he can win, ' he continued. Woods, a two-time winner at The Players, has not played the PGA Tour's flagship event since 2019. He tied for 30th, and a month later won the Masters for his fifth green jacket and his 15th major championship. He earned a five-year exemption for The Players with that Masters win and got an extra year to account for the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The Players was canceled after one round in 2020, though Woods did not enter because of stiffness in his back. There are no special exemptions for The Players. His only way back would be through his performance this year, or if he were to ever play the PGA Tour Champions after turning 50 and winning the Kaulig Companies Championship - formerly Senior Players - at Firestone. Yet, following Tuesday's devastating news, that path back to TPC Sawgrass has become more challenging. 'Tiger won't be thinking about the senior tour,' Foster said. 'He's the strongest mind that I've ever come across. Obviously, Jack had a similar mentality but Tiger's been a different animal from any player I've seen over the 40 years of my caddying.' The 15-time major winner was preparing for his latest comeback when he felt a ‘sharp pain’ Woods had been expected to make a return at The Masters, where he is a five-time winner 'He's the strongest mindset, the most elite athlete, and the best player that I've ever seen. To rule him out, you rule him out at your own peril, no matter if he's got one leg or not. 'If he's playing a little bit more and he gets match fit, he can win anywhere. So the senior tour will be the last thing on his mind.' This latest injury continues a miserable run of ailments, which included almost losing his right leg in a car accident. He has previously torn the Achilles tendon in his right ankle as well as ruptured ligaments in his left knee. Last September, Woods had a sixth back operation in 10 years. The surgery was formally referred to as 'microdecompression surgery of the lumbar spine.' Woods, an 82-time winner on the PGA Tour, suffered extensive injuries from a horror, single-vehicle car crash in 2021 that broke his right leg and ankle and required emergency surgery. He later had another ankle surgery to address lingering issues in 2023, weeks after withdrawing from that year's edition of The Masters. FloridaTiger Woods Share or comment on this article: Tiger Woods' former caddie speaks out on retirement fears after golf legend's latest injury setback Add comment