Tiger Woods undergoes back surgery in latest injury setback
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Golfer Tiger Woods, seen here in a file photo from Sept 8, has been playing a limited schedule since his February 2021 car crash.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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MIAMI – Tiger Woods underwent lumbar disc replacement surgery in his lower back after experiencing pain and a lack of mobility, the 15-time Major champion announced on Oct 11.
The veteran American golfer said that he had the successful operation – his seventh back surgery and his second in just over a year – on Oct 10 in New York.
“After experiencing pain and lack of mobility in my back, I consulted with doctors and surgeons to have tests taken,” he said in a statement.
“The scans determined that I had a collapsed disc in L4/5, disc fragments and a compromised spinal canal. I opted to have my disc replaced yesterday and I already know I made a good decision for my health and my back.”
The operation adds to an extensive medical history for Woods, who has endured a string of surgeries on his back, knees, leg and Achilles over the past decade.
There was no timetable given for when the 49-year-old might return to competitive golf after the latest in his series of operations and injuries that have kept him inactive since the 2024 British Open.
Woods suffered severe leg injuries in a 2021 car crash but returned at the 2022 Masters and finished 47th.
Since surviving that accident that nearly resulted in the amputation of his right leg, the former world No. 1 has played only sparingly – just 15 official events in four years, often withdrawing mid-tournament due to pain.
Woods, who turns 50 in December, had a back operation in September 2024. He was rehabilitating from that setback when he announced in March that he had suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon.
There were available spots in his Hero World Challenge when most of the field was announced last week, but the latest update ends any thought he might play in the Bahamas event.
Woods has won 82 PGA Tour titles, matching Sam Snead for the all-time record, and ranks second on the all-time Major win list, three off the record 18 won by Jack Nicklaus.
The surgery also brings into question if Woods will play for his Jupiter Links team in the TGL tech-golf league when its season begins in January.
In other news, Xander Schauffele won his first title of the year after finishing one stroke clear of American compatriot Max Greyserman at the PGA Tour’s Baycurrent Classic in Japan on Oct 12.
The 31-year-old ended a drought stretching back to his win at the 2024 British Open, which came two months after he claimed his first Major at the PGA Championship.
Schauffele, who won Olympic gold in Tokyo in 2021, finished on 19-under 265 after a seven-under final round of 64 containing eight birdies and one bogey at Yokohama Country Club.
He calmly rolled in a short putt to close out the win, then took his cap off to acknowledge the crowd and embraced his caddie.
“It feels good. It’s nice to know I’ve still got it,” said Schauffele, who struggled with injury earlier in 2025.
“It was a rough year but my team dragged me through it.”
AFP, REUTERS
