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Tiger Woods underwent surgery after suffering another serious injury.
Woods, 49, announced Saturday that he recently underwent lumbar disc replacement surgery for a collapsed disc and compromised spinal canal.
“After experiencing pain and lack of mobility in my back, I visited doctors and surgeons for tests. Scans determined that I had a collapsed disc at L4/5, disc fragments and a compromised spinal canal,” Woods said in a statement.
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Tiger Woods of Jupiter Links Golf Club greets fans as he is introduced at the start of a TMRW Golf League (TGL) match against Boston Common Golf, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
“I chose to have my disc replaced yesterday and I already know I made a good decision for my health and my back.”
For Woods, it’s just the latest health setback in a series of devastating injuries and subsequent surgeries in recent years.
Woods underwent surgery to repair a nerve impingement in his lower back in September, and he has already been sidelined from the PGA Tour this year while recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon he suffered in March.
Woods suffered multiple leg injuries when he was involved in a single-vehicle rollover crash in the Los Angeles area on February 23, 2021.
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Tiger Woods of the United States plays his shot from the 13th tee during the second round of the PLAYERS Championship on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on May 11, 2018 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
Since finishing tied for ninth at the 2020 Farmers Insurance Open, his best finish in his next 18 official events has been tied for 37th at the 2020 PGA Championship.
Last year he only competed in five events, one of them being the Genesis Invitational and the other four majors. He withdrew from the Genesis, finished dead last at the Masters and missed the cut in the last three majors.
This came after competing only at the Genesis and the Masters in 2023, where he finished tied for 45th and withdrew, respectively. In 2022, he played in the Masters (47th), the PGA Championship (withdrawal) and the Open Championship (missed cut).
Just when it looked like Woods was turning back the clock, it seemed like nothing more than false hope. In 2018, he finished second in the FedEx Cup standings. In 2019, he won the Masters.
Since then, it has been a difficult time for Woods, who in 14 major tournaments since winning the green jacket in 2019 has failed to crack the top 20. This is his longest streak since failing to finish in the top 20 in the first six majors of his career in 1995 and 1996. In his last 26 majors, he has only finished in the top 20 four times.
Tiger Woods, right, and his son Charlie Woods, left, prepare to play on the 3rd hole during the final round of the PNC Championship golf tournament, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Orlando, Florida. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski)
After the US Open, Woods, who turns 50 in December, admitted that “it may or may not be” his last. His latest injury raises more questions about his future.
