Tiger has latest back surgery, eyes return to golf

Tiger Woods had yet another surgery on his lower back Friday morning. This one he hopes will relieve some of the spasms like those he experienced this year.

It was the sixth surgery on his lower back in the past 10 years.

In a statement on Woods’ social media, the procedure was described as a microdecompression surgery of the lumbar spine for nerve impingement in the lower back. That also is referred to as a microdiscectomy, and the recovery time can be anywhere from eight to 12 weeks.

Woods is not scheduled to play again until the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas on Dec. 5-8 and the PNC Championship with his son, Charlie, on Dec. 21-22 in Orlando, Florida.

“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,” Woods said.

Woods has played only five tournaments this year: the four majors and the Genesis Invitational at Riviera in February, where he is the tournament host. He lasted only 24 holes at Riviera because of illness.

That was the only tournament where he specifically mentioned back spasms, and that was while explaining a shank he hit on the 18th hole of the opening round. He said he had been dealing with spasms “not during competition, but at home.”

Asked the cause of the spams, Woods said curtly, “Because my back is fused.”

Woods had his first microdiscectomy in April 2014, two more the following year and then had his lower back fused in 2017. He had another microdiscectomy surgery in December 2020 to remove a pressurized disk fragment.

Two months later, he crashed his speeding SUV in Los Angeles, shattering bones in his right leg and ankle and leading to another level of injuries he has coped with while trying to play a limited schedule.

His manager at Excel Sports, Mark Steinberg, was traveling Friday and not immediately available to comment.

“I look forward to tackling this rehab and preparing myself to get back to normal life activities, including golf,” Woods said in his statement.

Woods has made the cut in only one tournament this year, at the Masters, setting a record by making his 24th consecutive cut at Augusta National. This year was the first time he played all four majors since 2019, when he won the Masters for his 15th career major.

He has not played competitive golf since missing the cut at The Open in July. Woods failed to shoot under par in any round at a major in 2024.

The Associated Press and Field Level Media contributed to this report.