Tiger Woods makes ‘right decision’ about back surgery, return status unclear

Tiger Woods, the 15-time major champion, announced Saturday that he underwent lumbar disc replacement surgery on Friday.
“After experiencing back pain and lack of mobility, I consulted with a physician and surgeon for examination,” Woods’ statement said. “Scans determined that I had a collapsed L4/L5 disc, disc fragments and spinal canal damage. I chose to have the disc replaced yesterday and already know I made a good decision for my health and my back.”
No timetable was provided for Woods’ return to competitive golf.
Tiger Woods has not played on the PGA Tour this season after undergoing surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon in March. Last September, Woods underwent lower back surgery, which he described as lumbar micro-decompression surgery for nerve impingement.
The 49-year-old has had six previous back surgeries, starting with a microdiscectomy in 2014 due to pinched nerves. He underwent a second microdiscectomy in September 2015 and then had a follow-up surgery in October 2016 to relieve discomfort. He had another microdiscectomy in 2017 and then another surgery in 2021. Woods also underwent multiple leg surgeries before and after the crash.
Woods will play in just five tournaments in 2024. His only promotion came at the 2024 Masters. He missed the cut in the remaining three majors but competed in the PNC Championship and TGL with his son Charlie before injuring his Achilles tendon in March.
Josh Schrock
Golf Network Editor
Josh Schrock is a writer and reporter for Golf.com. Prior to joining golf, Josh was the Chicago Bears Insider for NBC Sports Chicago. He previously covered 49ers and Warriors games for NBC Sports Bay Area. Josh, an Oregon native and University of Oregon alumnus, spends his free time hiking with his wife and dog, thinking about how the Ducks will break his heart again, and working toward becoming a semi-skilled cutter. Josh is a true golf enthusiast who will never stop trying to break the 90 mark and never lose faith that Rory McIlroy’s crippling drought will end (update: he did). Josh Schrock can be reached at josh.schrock@golf.com.