Tiger Woods’ hopes of golf return after icon’s health update | Golf | Sport

The American was set to return at February’s Genesis Invitational but pulled out following his mother’s tragic passing. His fairway comeback has taken another crushing blow as he announced a seventh back operation.

In a statement posted on the golf icon’s X account, he revealed: “After experiencing pain and lack of mobility in my back, I consulted with Doctors and Surgeons to have tests taken. 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. I already know I made a good decision for my health and my back.”

The statement continued: “On Friday, Tiger underwent lumbar disc replacement surgery in his L4/5 Lumbar spine for lower back symptoms. The surgery was deemed successful and performed by Dr Sheeraz Qureshi and his team at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.”

Woods’ surgery means it will likely be at least a year until he can consider returning to golf. Just before Christmas, the 82-time PGA Tour winner will turn 50. He was expected to play some sort of role in his TFL Golf Indoor League but this injury rules out any chance of him playing.

In March, he was making good progress on his fitness until he ruptured his Achilles tendon while training at home. The surgery on his back is his third major operation since 2023, having required surgery on his Achilles, a micro-decompression procedure in 2024 and further surgery on his ankle in 2023.

Injuries troubled Woods throughout his career but his body has not been the same since he broke his right leg and ankle in his crash in 2021, which saw him receive emergency surgery. Putting his growing list of medical procedures to the side, one has to question whether his motivation is the same as a result of the battles with his body.

He did make the cut in the 2024 Masters, breaking a record for the most consecutive cuts made at the tournament with 24. However, he finished last out of those who did, finishing 16 over par, a whopping 27 strokes behind winner Scottie Scheffler. Moreover, Woods has been seen on the course with his 16-year-old son Charlie.

The teenager is emulating his father by taking to the fairway and competing in various junior championships. The golf legend has regularly been seen cheering on his son on the course, including at the recent US Junior Amateur Championship, where Charlie didn’t make the cut at Brook Hollow Golf Club in July.

Woods did play alongside his son at the 2024 PNC Championship last December, marking a return to golf, albeit not on the PGA Tour. Given his latest surgery and terrible record of injuries since 2021, Woods’ return to the latter seems like a distant dream.