“He doesn’t have much luck when it comes to injuries and his body. Obviously he was trying to ramp up to get ready for Augusta, and Achilles surgeries obviously aren’t fun.
“We obviously won’t see him play golf this year, and hopefully, we see him maybe play in 2026.”
McIlroy believes the fiercely driven Woods will do all he can to be competitive when he does eventually return to fitness.
“He’ll try. I know he’ll try,” McIlroy said. “But that’s a question for him, not for me. I obviously don’t know what’s in his head. But judging by prior behaviour, he’ll definitely try.”
McIlroy meanwhile reflected on his own career as he gears up for his latest tilt at next month’s Masters - the only major championship missing from his collection of US Open, British Open and two PGA Championships.
The 35-year-old star said he would know when the time was right to retire - and would rather walk away from the sport before his form starts to decline.
“Whenever I feel like the time is right, I’ll have no problem moving aside and letting the next generation do their thing,” McIlroy said.
“When I’ve achieved everything I want to achieve in the game and I get to the point where I don’t think I can maybe do that anymore. I’d also like to walk away with a little bit left in the tank.
“I don’t want to be out there embarrassing myself. I’d like to walk away maybe a little before I should.
“I think if you can come to terms with that and walk away on your own terms, then that’s a good thing.”
