World number one Tiger Woods is taking a long-term view of his return to action and is thinking about "the next 10 or 15 years, not the next 10 weeks", according to his agent.

The 14-time major winner missed this month’s Masters for the first time in 20 years after undergoing surgery to correct a problem with a pinched nerve in his back on March 31st.

No timescale has been put on his recovery and the American's representative Mark Steinberg could only say he would return at some point this summer.

“He’s doing a little bit more and more each day,” Steinberg told ESPN.com. “He’s getting to the point of light chipping and putting and the doctors and trainers seem to be pleased with where he is.

“He is on schedule but we don’t know what that schedule means. I don’t know when he intends to be playing competitively but I expect it to be this summer. I know that’s a wide range but as the weeks go by we’ll be able to pinpoint an approximate time. It’s still a little early for that.

“Nothing that has gone on from the day of the surgery until today gives me any pause to amend what I said then. I know that’s broad and vague but we can’t pinpoint a specific time until we’re further along.

“I’ve seen a very responsible approach (from Woods) to getting back. This is about the next 10 or 15 years, this is not about the next 10 weeks. This is not about targeting any specific tournament. If he needs to wait one or two or three extra weeks he will.

“He’s thinking about this very, very long term.”

The 38-year-old has featured in just four tournaments this year and has not played since the final round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral on March 9th.

June sees Pinehurst in North Carolina host the year's second major before the Open Championship returns to Royal Liverpool, Hoylake, in July, where Woods won his third and most recent Claret Jug in 2006.