Tiger Woods Has Surgery for Back Injury to Address Collapsed Disc, Spine Issue

Tiger Woods underwent successful back surgery Friday to replace a collapsed disc in his spine, the 15-time major championship winner said in a statement.

Woods said he underwent the procedure after "experiencing pain and a lack of mobility" in his back.

A scan then determined Woods had "a collapsed disc in L4/5, disc fragments and a compromised spinal canal," according to the statement.

"I opted to have my disc replaced yesterday, and I already know I made a good decision for my health and my back," Woods wrote in the statement.

Woods has undergone six previous back surgeries since first undergoing a microdiscectomy in 2014.

His latest procedure took place just 13 months after the golfer announced in September 2024 that he had undergone "microdecompression surgery of the lumbar spine for nerve impingement in the lower back."

He said at the time that the 2024 procedure was meant to address "back spasms and pain" he had experienced throughout the prior season, and that he was looking forward to returning "to normal life activities, including golf."

Woods, who will turn 50 in December, remained competitive after initial back surgeries including spinal fusion in 2017. He won his last Tour event with a historic 82nd win at the 2019 ZOZO Championship.

His health problems have increased since he was involved in a car crash in 2021. Woods has not recorded a PGA Tour win since then, and has not participated in any PGA Tour events since he missed the cut at The Open at the Royal Troon Golf Course in July 2024.

Woods had initially planned to return to the PGA Tour starting in February with the Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines, but withdrew from the competition following his mother's death.

He then announced in March he had suffered a ruptured left Achilles necessitating surgery.

It is not yet clear Woods will be able to participate in his Hero World Challenge, which he is set to host in the Bahamas starting Dec. 4.