Tiger Woods: Seventh back surgery, replaces lumbar disc

Tiger Woods Undergoes Seventh Back Surgery

Legendary golfer Tiger Woods underwent a new back surgery this Friday, marking the seventh surgical intervention in his history. On this occasion, the procedure focused on replacing a disc in the lumbar area that was causing him pain and mobility problems. Through a social media post on Saturday, Woods revealed that the operation took place in New York and stated that it was the right decision for his health and his problematic back. The golfer did not specify the recovery time he will need, so it is not yet known if he will be able to participate in the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas or the PNC Championship alongside his son, Charlie, both events scheduled for December. The last time Woods competed was at the PNC Championship last year, where he lost in a playoff. This is the second surgery Woods has undergone this year, following a procedure in March due to a rupture of his left Achilles tendon, and the second back surgery in the last 13 months. Woods explained that he made the decision to have surgery after consulting with doctors and surgeons due to the pain and lack of mobility in his back.

“The scans determined I had a collapsed disc at L4/5, disc fragments and a compromised spinal canal,” Woods wrote in his post on Saturday. “I opted to get my disc replaced yesterday, and I’m already feeling I made a good decision for my health and my back.”

Tiger Woods

The first of Woods’ seven back surgeries was in April 2014, which ultimately led to a fusion in the lumbar area in 2017. A year later, he won the Tour Championship and in 2019 he obtained his 15th major and his fifth green jacket at the Masters. In February 2021, Woods suffered a car accident that fractured his right leg and ankle, which, according to him, almost cost him amputation. Woods returned to competition a year later, at the 2022 Masters. Since the accident, Woods has participated in only 15 tournaments in the last four years, four of them in the PNC Championship, where he can use a cart during the 36-hole event.