Tiger Woods is facing his latest spell on the sidelines after having surgery for an ongoing back issue.
The announcement was made on the social media platforms of the 15-time Major winner on Friday with a statement that read: “Earlier this morning Tiger underwent microdecompression surgery of the lumbar spine for nerve impingement in the lower back."
The statement went on to proclaim that the surgery had been successful. It continued: “Dr Sheeraz Qureshi of Hospital For Special Surgery in West Palm Beach perform the surgery deemed it to be successful.”
Woods added: “The surgery went smoothly, and I’m hopeful this will help alleviate the back spasms and pain I was experiencing throughout most of the 2024 season. I look forward to tackling this rehab and preparing myself to get back to normal life activities, including golf.”
pic.twitter.com/PFOnFxlTa7September 13, 2024
The surgery - the sixth on his back of his career - comes after another frustrating season for Woods where opportunities to play competitively have been limited.
His first competitive appearance of the season came at February’s Genesis Invitational. He withdrew from that tournament during the second round because of flu-like symptoms. However, the first warning sign of his back problem came the day earlier.
Back spasms led to a cold shank on the closing hole on Thursday afternoon, and he explained afterwards what he thought was causing them. He said: “Because my back's fused."
"Foot's good. Leg's a little bit sore, things are a little bit sore, but that's to be expected. That's nothing that we weren't prepared for and we've got some work to do tonight and tomorrow.
"As far as the physical ups and downs, that's just part of my body, that's part of what it is. That's all right, I accept it and accept the challenges."
Woods then played at The Masters, where he made the cut, but he didn’t have the same success at the three remaining Majors, the PGA Championship, the US Open and The Open, where he failed to make the weekend on all three occasions.
Despite that, he showed few, if any, signs of the ankle issue that required him to have surgery following the 2023 Masters. However, all the while, it appears he was dealing with the back spasms that have now forced him to go under the knife once more.
As yet, there is no confirmation on whether he will be fit to compete in either the Hero World Challenge, which he hosts, or the PNC Championship alongside his son Charlie, both of which are scheduled for December.
