Tiger Woods Reveals New Back Surgery, Uncertainty Over Competitive Return
Tiger Woods recently addressed media at the Hero World Challenge, revealing significant health setbacks that may impact his future competitive schedule.
Woods underwent his sixth back surgery - a microdiscectomy - in September 2023 to address unexpected back spasms that caused radiating leg pain throughout the year. This procedure follows multiple previous surgeries, including a spinal fusion in 2017.
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Speaking at Albany Golf Club as tournament host rather than competitor, Woods acknowledged he's not yet tournament-ready:
"I'm not tournament sharp yet. These are 20 of the best players in the world, and I'm not sharp enough to compete against them at this level. When I'm ready to compete and play at this level, then I will."
This statement contrasts with his December 2023 goal of playing monthly tournaments in 2024. Woods managed only four starts this past season, completing 72 holes just once at the Masters.
While maintaining his competitive drive, Woods expressed uncertainty about his body's recovery capabilities:
"The fire still burns to compete. But as far as the recovery process and doing it consistently at a high level, I can't. The body just won't recover like it used to. That's part of age and part of an athlete's journey."
Looking ahead, Woods remains cautiously optimistic but realistic about his future:
"Whether my commitment going forward is once a month, I truly don't know. I'm just trying to rehab and still get stronger and better and feel better, really give myself the best chance I can going into next year. Hopefully next year will be better, I'll be physically stronger and better. I know the procedure helped, and hopefully I can build upon that."