Tour News

Tiger Woods has surprise back surgery, return uncertain

Published

11 years ago

Sep 18, 2015

Unfortunately, the hip pain that plagued Tiger Woods on the weekend at the Wyndham Championship in August has a familiar root: the battered golfer’s back. And as a result, the 39-year-old had a second back surgery in as many years Wednesday, according to a statement on his website.

[quote_box_center]”An examination clearly showed that the…discomfort was coming from his back, and Woods elected to have…surgery quickly in order to return to the PGA TOUR as soon as possible,” the statement reads in part.[/quote_box_center]

The surgery in question is the same procedure he had in March of 2014 — a microdiscectomy — and was performed by the same surgeon in Park City, Utah.

Neurosurgeon Dr. Charles Rich, who performed the operation, said, “With the upcoming offseason, the decision was made to remove a small disc fragment that was pinching his nerve. The microsurgery was a complete success.”

Even with the “complete success,” the former world No. 1 will miss the Frys.com Open, the Bridgestone America’s Golf Cup, and the Hero World Challenge he had planned to play. The date of his return is unknown at this point, with indications that he hopes to be back early in 2016. His website indicated, “Woods will begin intensive rehabilitation and soft tissue treatment within a week.”

According to his agent, Mark Steinberg (per ESPN.com), Woods committed to playing the Frys.com Open, “thinking it [a previously scheduled appointment] was going to be a regular checkup. Obviously, that area where he had the microdiscectomy had to be treated again. And it leads us to where we are now.”

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Ben Alberstadt

Ben Alberstadt is the Editor-in-Chief at GolfWRX, where he’s led editorial direction and gear coverage since 2018. He first joined the site as a freelance writer in 2012 after years spent working in pro shops and bag rooms at both public and private golf courses, experiences that laid the foundation for his deep knowledge of equipment and all facets of this maddening game. Based in Philadelphia, Ben’s byline has also appeared on PGATour.com, Bleacher Report...and across numerous PGA DFS and fantasy golf platforms. Off the course, Ben is a committed cat rescuer and, of course, a passionate Philadelphia sports fan. Follow him on Instagram @benalberstadt.

10 Comments

Arm Chair Doctor

Sep 20, 2015 at 11:33 am

Direct result of juicing all those years

Reply Report comment
Slimeone

Sep 20, 2015 at 9:02 am

Tiger is a microdiscectomy addict.

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Steve

Sep 19, 2015 at 9:13 am

Who cares he is 283 in the world and sinking fast. Has a broken body and mind, he will never be the legend he was. To bad would have loved to see it. But it is over people, time to move on. There is alot of young talent, that draws no interest. But for the avid fan atleast it is golf. Golf is a niche sport and without Tiger and Phil not in contention it will shrink.

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- The dude
  
  Sep 19, 2015 at 7:35 pm
  
  Go back to the tennis court bub….Phil has been done for some time and so has Tiger…ratings are fine….and So is the sport
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Steve
    
    Sep 19, 2015 at 9:14 pm
    
    Bub?
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Steve
      
      Sep 19, 2015 at 9:43 pm
      
      I quess in your book 23 in the OWGR is done. Anyone outside the top twenty is done, right bub? The ratings for golf are abysmal , not my words Tim Fichems.
      
      Reply Report comment
  - Logical
    
    Sep 20, 2015 at 5:40 pm
    
    Don’t really understand the point you’re making. “Get over it” and allow the sport to shrink? Ok….
    
    Obviously you’re forgetting, Jack won that 86 masters at 46. Tiger is 7 years younger.
    
    Tiger is the primary reason golf was as popular as it was for the last 20 years. He’s the primary reason we had so many developers built and invested in courses. He’s the primary reason the sport has seen so much corporate investment, innovation and R&D. The sport you know and love today has been so influenced by his presence within, that you should realize you owe at least some thanks to his involvement, like him as a person or not.
    
    As I watch courses close and read over and over how interest in the sport is dropping like a stone, I can’t help but project forward. Maybe you’re too young to realize, but this decline means in 5 years there may be fewer courses, they may be maintained poorly. There may be fewer manufacturers and less innovation and choice. As a golfer, the potentials suck.
    
    You don’t have to like him, but you should be smart enough to realize as a fan of playing the sport, a comeback (or even a glimmer of success) only helps the rest of us who love to play and want the sport as healthy as it was 10 years ago. Because right now, there’s no one to “move on” to. No one seems to have that same killer instinct that was so captivating to the sport.
    
    The current super-tour top 5 all seem like great guys to hang out with. But that doesn’t mean the world wants to watch them walk around on Sunday’s. Tiger’s intensity and dominance (and the lack of apologies for it) at the time, did make people want to watch. It was similar to watching Jordan play basketball, You didn’t have to be a basketball fan to get sucked in.
    
    I sure hope someone shows up with that same attitude and captivating persona soon or we’ll keep watching them pave over back 9s for more condos and tennis courts.
    
    Reply Report comment
Bert

Sep 19, 2015 at 8:48 am

Hopefully the pain is stopped. Those with pinched nerve problems know the pain at times can be so bad you can’t walk, or even get out of bed easily, much less play golf. The bad news is I’ve never heard of the problems being totally cured with surgery. Surgery can treat one area, then problems progress to other areas. For anyone undergoing back surgery I wish them the best; normally leg pain from nerve damage will follow. Of course I’m not a doctor but so many of my friends have been down this road more than once. For me I’m still in the pain management arena.

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Charles

Sep 19, 2015 at 7:57 am

Back pain is easier to cure than the double cross and chipping yips. Please Tiger, stop visiting the doctors and go back to Butch Harmon to return to number 1, a place you deserve and never should be taken from. Good luck and good rehab.

Reply Report comment
Lar

Sep 18, 2015 at 10:11 pm

Good for him. Fix it.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 PGA Championship

Published

2 days ago

May 11, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

GolfWRX is on site for the second major of 2026: The PGA Championship from Aronimink in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.

The tournament’s location, just outside Philadelphia, and its status as a major championship mean GolfWRXers are in for a treat: WITBs from a strong field, custom gear celebrating the PGA Championship, and the rich culture of the City of Brotherly Love — we have noted a relative absence of cheesesteak-themed items thus far this week, but most of the rest of the usual suspects are well represented.

Check out links to all our photos below.