Tiger Woods underwent his seventh lower back surgery on Friday, this time to replace a disc in his lower back that was causing pain and mobility issues.
Woods said in a social media post Saturday that he underwent the surgery in New York, adding that it was the right decision given his health and his troubled lower back.
He did not say how long he would be away from golf, but it was unclear whether he was planning to compete in the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas or the PNC Championship with his son Charlie. Both competitions will be held in December.
He hasn’t played since losing in the playoffs at last year’s PNC Championship.
This is his second surgery this year, and his second in the past 13 months, having undergone surgery in March after tearing his left Achilles tendon.
Woods said he consulted doctors and surgeons because he experienced pain and lack of mobility in his back.
“Scans revealed a collapsed L4/5 disc, disc fragmentation, and spinal canal damage,” Woods wrote in a post on Saturday. “Yesterday I decided to have my disc replaced. I already know I made a good decision for my health and my back.”
Woods underwent the first of seven hip surgeries in April 2014 and ultimately had his lower back fused in 2017. A year later, he won the Tour Championship and earned his 15th major and fifth green jacket at the 2019 Masters.
He was in a car accident in February 2021 that shattered his right leg and ankle, nearly amputation, Woods said.
He returned a year later at the 2022 Masters.
Since the car accident, Woods has played just 15 times in the past four years, four of which were at the PNC Championship, which allows the use of carts in the 36-hole event.