Tiger Woods has undergone surgery on his ankle, plunging his participation in the rest of this year’s Majors into doubt.
Woods was forced to withdraw from the Masters seven holes into his third round after limping around the course. He was playing just his fifth event since being involved in a horrific car crash in February 2021 and admitted he was “sore” and in “constant” pain.
The 47-year-old has now gone under the knife to try and address arthritis in his ankle. A statement posted on social media read: “Earlier today, Tiger underwent a subtalar procedure to address his post-traumatic arthritis from his previous talus fracture.
“It was performed by Dr Martin O’Malley at HSS Sports Medicine Institute in New York City. He has determined the surgery to be successful. Tiger is currently recovering and looks forward to beginning his rehabilitation.”
Woods shattered multiple bones in his right leg and ankle when the SUV he was driving crashed at around 85 mph in California in February 2021. The American admitted afterwards that he was lucky to be alive and to still have both legs after revealing that doctors considered amputation.
His appearance at the Masters earlier this month was just his second start of the year. It was undermined by plantar fasciitis – an injury to the bottom of the foot – and has led to the need for surgery.
“He’s resting now and will start the recovery process,” Woods’ agent, Mark Steinberg, told reporters.
He said there was “no timetable” on a potential return to playing golf and added: “The first goal is to recover and lead a much more enjoyable day-to-day life.”
As well as battling injuries associated with his car accident two years ago, Woods has also been struggling with a back problem. “I don't know how many more I have in me,” the 15-time Major champion admitted after withdrawing from the Masters.
Doubts have been expressed about whether he can keep putting his body through pain in order to keep competing. After he withdrew from the Masters, Sir Nick Faldo tweeted: “The amount of rehab each and every day is brutal. Feels even worse if you’re not shooting a decent score! How long can he keep putting himself through that?”
Before the Masters, Woods’ caddie Joe LaCava admitted: "He’s pretty banged up. If it wasn’t Augusta he probably wouldn’t be playing. He still has the power, the swing speed, the shots and the length to contend. The injury is devastating, but if he could take a cart, he could contend tomorrow."
Golf Channel pundit Brad Faxon added some insight, saying: “It is not just since his car accident. I played with him in 2018 after his back issues. He told me he was in so much pain that he had to crawl out of bed to go to the bathroom."
