Tour News

Tiger Woods underwent a fourth back surgery

Published

9 years ago

Apr 20, 2017

On Thursday, Tiger Woods announced on his website that he’s undergone a fourth back surgery to “alleviate ongoing pain in his back and leg.” The announcement does not clarify exactly when he underwent surgery, but based on videos that surfaced of him swinging a golf club just days ago at Big Cedar Ridge, it’s likely the surgery happened quite recently.

“The surgery went well, and I’m optimistic this will relieve my back spasms and pain,” Woods said. “When healed, I look forward to getting back to a normal life, playing with my kids, competing in professional golf and living without the pain I have been battling so long.”

According to his website, the procedure was a “minimally invasive Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (MIS ALIF) at L5/S1,” to relieve pressure from the nerve.

“After he recovers from surgery, he will gradually begin his rehabilitation until he is completely healed,” said Dr. Richard Guyer of the Center for Disc Replacement at the Texas Back Institute. “Once that’s accomplished, his workouts will be geared to allowing him to return to competitive golf… If you are going to have single-level fusion, the bottom level is the best place for it to occur. Some individuals are born with one less vertebrae, which would be similar to someone who had a single-level fusion.”

Woods will undergo therapy and treatment after several weeks of rest, and patients are expected to return to full activity after six months. This timeframe means the 14-time major champion would not be active on the PGA Tour until late October, which is when the 2017-2018 season begins.

Most recently, we saw Tiger Woods compete in the 2016 Hero Challenge (T15), the 2017 Farmers Insurance Open (missed cut) and the Dubai Desert Classic, from which he withdrew after an opening-round 77 citing back spasms. He missed The 2017 Masters, and now, it appears he will miss the remainder of the 2016-2017 PGA Tour season.

“I would like to thank all the fans for staying in touch and their kind wishes,” Woods said. “The support I have received has never waned, and it really helps.”

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33 Comments

Steve Frishmuth

Apr 25, 2017 at 10:04 pm

Had a L3,L4,L5,S1 fusion at walter reed back in September…
Just back to swinging a club…..therapist explains that most rotation comes from hip rotation….and I should finish facing the target…..67 years old…..single digit hdcp……but that is far from tour golf…….I wish Tiger the best….if anyone can come back it’s Tiger….if that is what he wants…..don’t sell him short

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nathan Gatehouse

Apr 24, 2017 at 6:42 am

Rocco Mediate – Still can play….. Try and be golfer, or a navy seal, not both

Reply Report comment
Sam

Apr 22, 2017 at 12:41 am

Why so many haters? Tiger, hope you recover well and come back to competitive golf. There hasn’t yet been anyone like you in golf.

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Fat Perez

Apr 21, 2017 at 11:32 pm

@ genius Jim, it’s spelled “prodigy.”

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- Matto
  
  Apr 22, 2017 at 12:13 am
  
  Progeny is apt.
  
  Reply Report comment
Moonman

Apr 21, 2017 at 8:40 pm

Too bad his back is not oKKKay.

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Ed B.

Apr 21, 2017 at 1:01 pm

FINISHED! #NowImDone

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Ed B.

Apr 21, 2017 at 12:58 pm

Thanks Doc….

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Golferguy

Apr 21, 2017 at 9:40 am

If he never hits another ball in competition, fine. Just so long as he can live without back pain.

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Adam

Apr 21, 2017 at 8:06 am

A radio personality with back issues talked to Tiger last year about this particular surgery. Apparently, this surgery was probably needed years ago to allow him to live pain free, but it will hurt his explosiveness. He was hoping that the other types of surgeries that he was getting would work so he could make a comeback and still have his speed on the course. This type of surgery will allow him to live with less pain, but further signifies the decline of his career.

Reply Report comment
- Jim
  
  Apr 21, 2017 at 10:19 am
  
  His ridiculous squat move ate his back just as Butch – and everyone else who understood functional human anatomy told him it would…. unfortunately he’s become golf’s version of a chronically mismanaged and mislead brilliant Hollywood child progeny found in a dive motel with a hooker and a crack pipe….EXCEPT….he’s still got beacoup $$$
  
  Reply Report comment
- BD57
  
  Apr 22, 2017 at 8:07 pm
  
  We’ll see.
  
  Had L4/L5 fusion in 2001 because there was no alternative. Would not be able to play – or live a normal life – if I hadn’t.
  
  The notion that Tiger’s going to lose all kinds of flexibility or power because of this . . . . . I’d really like to hear from someone with appropriate credentials and experience on the subject, because in MY limited experience, I don’t see it.
  
  It’s not like he had 5 discs fused – it was one. Anyone have any idea how much “additional turn” he’s going to lose from having ONE disc fused?
  
  My guess would be …. nothing of consequence.
  
  The back is not exactly the most flexible thing in the world “rotationally” to begin with, and that’s what the fusion will limit.
  
  In terms of his backswing turn, and through the ball, it’s the combination of flexible in his hips and strength in his core which will have far more to say about how quickly he can make the club head move through the ball . . . . more than a fusion at L5/S1.
  
  IMO, this is the best news for Tiger since he started down the path of back surgeries. He’s been trying to snip & trim to relieve the nerve impingement, without success – what I suspect has been happening is the disc just kept deteriorating, so every time they thought they had it cleaned up, when Tiger went out and started working again, the work did a little more damage to the disc, and now the impingement was back, and here we go again ….
  
  Assuming the fusion surgery was done right, what’s finally happened is the mechanical cause of the problem has been “fixed” in a way which won’t allow it to recur – at least, not at L5/S1.
  
  The downside . . . . . because there’s less flexibility at L5/S1, there’ll be a bit more stress put on L5/L4 . . . . solving one problem can plant the seed for another.
  
  That’s something my surgeon told me about back in 2001 . . . . but here we are 16 years later, and – knock wood – so far, so good.
  
  I really hope this works for Tiger.
  
  Oh … as for “he’s done.”
  
  Yeah, so was Hogan after the bus wreck …. why don’t we just sit back & see what happens?
  
  Reply Report comment
Yoohoo

Apr 21, 2017 at 3:23 am

Or learn to hit a soft arm hook. Much more gentle on the body. Less effort needed.

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bob

Apr 21, 2017 at 12:42 am

as johnny miller said in 97-because of his swing, he will not have a long career. same can probably be said for many players today.

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KJ

Apr 20, 2017 at 8:08 pm

Needs to do nothing for a year. The spine, nerves, disc degeneration can take a long time to recover and heal…..and he will never be the same. Ever. Let it heal as best as you can and give it one more shot at a comeback.

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- Wedge Chunk
  
  Apr 21, 2017 at 8:12 pm
  
  He already took a year off and he only lasted 1 tournament. Hes done.
  
  Reply Report comment
Yoohoo

Apr 20, 2017 at 7:20 pm

How about a penile replacement while he’s at it

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- J
  
  Apr 20, 2017 at 8:32 pm
  
  You’re a moron
  
  Reply Report comment
  - ooffa
    
    Apr 21, 2017 at 8:02 am
    
    J, you idiot. Name calling is not nice!
    
    Reply Report comment
King of Carlsbad

Apr 20, 2017 at 6:50 pm

TM getting incredibly ROI on TW investment.

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Scott

Apr 20, 2017 at 6:47 pm

Yawn

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ooffa

Apr 20, 2017 at 5:53 pm

Wow, those steroids really messed him up. Sad.

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Dat

Apr 20, 2017 at 5:49 pm

Before the haters arrive, I’d like to say that I hope this is the last one he will ever need. If he ever comes back, great for him, great for golf. If he never comes back, it will be a shame that a great golf career ended the way it did.

Reply Report comment
Aaron

Apr 20, 2017 at 5:45 pm

Anyone else get sick of hearing Notah Begay continually either be misinformed or lie about Tiger’s conditions?

Reply Report comment
- Tod
  
  Apr 20, 2017 at 6:15 pm
  
  Totally agreed. This is one more time the proof that Begay has no idea about Tiger anymore. Everytime he release a news and it is wrong BUT it is the only time sbdy is listening to him. Sad.
  
  Reply Report comment
- hb
  
  Apr 20, 2017 at 6:17 pm
  
  agreed
  
  Reply Report comment
- Chuck
  
  Apr 20, 2017 at 7:39 pm
  
  I sure am. In fact, I am sick of hearing Tiger Woods continually either misinform us or lie about his conditions.
  
  I’m fully aware that in past generations (Bob Hope, Arnold Palmer) men were men and the press didn’t bother them. But I really don’t recall anybody performing the sort of deceptions that Tiger employs in everything from his surgeries, to his recoveries, to his tournament schedule, to everything else. In fact, I always had the impression that Tiger Woods could have been, and wanted to be, just another regular guy. But that Team Tiger turned him into something else.
  
  Reply Report comment
- David Labbe
  
  Apr 21, 2017 at 10:09 am
  
  I was thinking the same when I heard this latest news. I also don’t understand how he has a tv gig. I am not knocking Notah as a person, but I have a hard time listening to him talk and call golf.
  
  Reply Report comment
Bert

Apr 20, 2017 at 5:18 pm

Hope he gets better, even designing golf courses could be challenge.

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cgasucks

Apr 20, 2017 at 4:47 pm

In other words he’s done for the year…as if that is a surprise.

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- Sham God
  
  Apr 20, 2017 at 5:07 pm
  
  He won’t touch a club for 6 months. I doubt he will be back to competitive golf before next Masters. My guess is 6 months of recovery and 6-12 months of golf rehab before he is ready to play in a tournament. If he stays healthy through that I’d say 2019 Masters is probably the target.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Tom
  
  Apr 20, 2017 at 9:18 pm
  
  I’ll go with just…..he’s done.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Seankinni
    
    Apr 21, 2017 at 11:03 am
    
    Those six words said it all.
    
    Reply Report comment

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