Tiger Woods’ harm timeline: Surgical procedures, procedures and comebacks throughout his profession

From a number of again surgical procedures to successful a serious with stress fractures and a torn ACL after which his return following his automotive crash, we have a look at how harm has affected Tiger Woods’ profession as he offers along with his newest setback…

April 2008: Woods was compelled to take a two month lay-off between a runner-up end on the Masters and the US Open to bear arthroscopic surgical procedure to restore the cartilage in his left knee.

The harm had brought on him points for the reason that Open Championship the earlier summer season, whereas Woods was later instructed he had two stress fractures in his left tibia and may have an extra six weeks’ relaxation.

June 2008: Even with the harm to his left tibia and extreme ache in his left knee, Woods battled by to assert victory on the US Open.

Victory at Torrey Pines could be Woods’ final begin for practically 9 months, because the world No 1 recovered from reconstructive surgical procedure on his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in addition to having cartilage harm repaired.

Could 2010: Having performed with a nasty neck “for quite a while” and a missed minimize seven days earlier on the Wells Fargo Championship, Woods needed to finish his Gamers Championship prematurely by withdrawing in the course of the closing spherical.

Tiger reportedly believed it to be a bulging disc in his neck, nevertheless it was later confirmed as an infected side joint. Woods didn’t keep away for lengthy, enjoying the Memorial Match the next month.

April 2011: Woods stated he suffered a re-occurrence of his left knee harm on the Masters, with a ‘minor’ knock to that and his Achilles tendon seeing him withdraw from the Wells Fargo Championship as a ‘precaution’.

Could 2011: Though Woods’ agent claimed he was “not at all concerned” with the earlier harm, it turned clear it was one thing extra severe when he needed to pull out of the Gamers Championship – his subsequent begin – after simply 9 holes.

A sprained Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) ligament in his left knee and strained left Achilles tendon noticed Woods miss the following three months, together with the center two majors of the yr, ultimately coming again on the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

March 2012: Regardless of altering sneakers to try to handle the issue, Woods withdrew with seven holes remaining on the WGC-Cadillac Championship with an harm to his Achilles tendon.

Reluctant to complete the spherical and threat additional harm, Woods stated he did “what I thought was necessary”, however would go on to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational only a fortnight later.

June 2013: An elbow pressure that Woods first sustained on the Gamers Championship dominated him out of the AT&T Nationwide, giving him a number of weeks off to relaxation between a tied-Thirty second end on the US Open and that includes on the Open Championship.

August 2013: Woods narrowly missed out on Barclays victory as he completed one stroke adrift of Adam Scott, however suffered a sequence of again spasms which left him hunched on all fours throughout his closing spherical.

The then world No 1 wanted to make use of his putter for assist to choose his ball out of the outlet in the course of the closing stretch, however Woods was nonetheless match to characteristic on the Deutsche Financial institution Championship just some days later.

March 2014: Damage issues returned for Woods in the course of the closing spherical of the Honda Basic, with the American enjoying his first six holes in five-over par earlier than withdrawing on the thirteenth inexperienced as a consequence of spasms in his decrease again.

In an announcement after the spherical, Woods stated the pains had first surfaced in the course of the warm-up and had been just like these suffered on the Barclays in the course of the earlier summer season. He pulled out of his scheduled look on the Arnold Palmer Invitational two weeks later.

April 2014: Woods introduced he wouldn’t characteristic on the Masters for the primary time in his skilled profession, after having again surgical procedure for a pinched nerve that had troubled him for “several months”.

He stated he had hoped to return to to the PGA Tour “sometime in the summer” and featured 4 months later on the Quicken Loans Nationwide.

August 2014: Seeking to defend his WGC-Bridgestone Invitational title, Woods jarred his again early in his closing spherical and performed the primary eight holes in three over earlier than being pushed off the course in appreciable ache.

Woods performed on by the ache to characteristic once more on the PGA Championship the next week, grimacing on a few events as he slumped to solely his fourth main missed minimize of his skilled profession. A prolonged break from the sport adopted, not enjoying once more till December.

February 2015: Every week on from lacking the minimize with a then career-worst spherical on the Phoenix Open, Woods accomplished 11 holes on the Farmers Insurance coverage Open earlier than withdrawing with a again harm.

“My glutes are just shutting off” was Woods’ purpose for strolling off the course, with the American not making one other aggressive look till the Masters some two months later.

September 2015: After failing to qualify for the PGA Tour’s FedExCup play-offs, Woods confirmed he had undergone microdiscectomy surgical procedure for a second time and introduced he would miss the remaining occasions in 2015 – together with his personal Hero World Problem.

The surgical procedure eliminated a disc fragment that had been pinching his nerve, with the 39-year-old then focusing on a return to motion “early in 2016”.

October 2015: Six weeks on from his preliminary surgical procedure, Woods was forced to bear a follow-up process aiming to alleviate discomfort in his again.

Woods’ neurosurgeon deemed the work a hit, though the previous world No 1 instructed his return might take longer than initially deliberate when he posted on his web site that he could be again enjoying “as soon as I can”.

December 2015: Forward of internet hosting the Hero World Problem, supported by his basis, Woods solid his future into doubt by telling reporters he had not swung a membership for greater than two months and was anticipating a “long and tedious” restoration from his harm.

Woods additionally revealed he had not began any sort of rehab and that “there’s nothing to look forward to”, with no timetable in place to get again enjoying.

February 2016: Woods’ agent Mark Steinberg was compelled to deny reviews that the now world No 445 had suffered a severe setback to his again surgical procedure, calling the hypothesis “completely false”.

Experiences had instructed Woods had scrapped plans for a possible return at Could’s Gamers Championship, however Steinberg launched an announcement to say Woods is “continuing to work on his rehabilitation”.

April 2016: Woods introduced on his web site that he would sit out of the Masters for the second time in three years, saying that he “wasn’t physically ready” to characteristic at Augusta.

Regardless of releasing video footage on social media a number of weeks earlier exhibiting him swinging a membership in his dwelling golf simulator, Woods stated he nonetheless has “no timetable to return to competitive golf”.

September 2016: The world No 711 confirms plans to make a return to golf on the Safeway Open on October 13, with additional appearances lined up on the Turkish Airways Open and his personal Hero World Problem.

“My rehabilitation is to the point where I’m comfortable making plans, but I still have work to do,” Tiger stated. He didn’t characteristic in both match.

February 2017: Every week on from a missed minimize on the Farmers Insurance coverage Open, Woods posted an opening-round 77 on the Dubai Desert Basic. The world No 666 then withdrew forward of his second spherical, citing again spasms.

April 2017: Woods reveals he has undergone a fourth again operation, with the newest process trying to alleviate ache in his again and leg.

The world No 788 says the surgical procedure to take away a broken disc was a hit, though he’s more likely to miss the rest of the PGA Tour season.

“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,” he stated.

Could 2017: Woods was arrested in Jupiter, Florida, on suspicion of driving underneath the affect. Woods later says alcohol was not concerned and he had “an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications.”

September 2017: Medical doctors cleared Woods to start swinging a membership once more though he admits it’s potential that he might not play aggressive golf once more in his profession.

“I don’t know what my future holds for me,” he stated as he ready for his position as a non-playing assistant captain for USA on the Presidents Cup. “I’m still training, I’m getting stronger. But I certainly don’t have my golf muscles trained, because obviously I’m not doing anything golf-related.”

October 2017: Woods begins the month by releasing a slow-motion video of himself hitting an iron shot as he continues to rebuild his health.

He ends the month by saying that he’ll make his return to aggressive golf on the Hero World Problem on the finish of November.

“I am excited to return to competitive golf at the Hero World Challenge,” he stated. “Albany is the perfect setting and it will be great to join this outstanding field. I would also like to thank the fans for their unwavering support during my injury.”

March 2019 – After beginning the yr with three consecutive top-20s on the PGA Tour, Woods skipped the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a neck pressure that had been affecting him “for a few weeks”.

Woods returned to motion at The Gamers the next week and performed the WGC-Dell Applied sciences Match Play later that month, earlier than claiming a historic fifteenth main title at The Masters in April.

August 2019 – Making his first begin since a missed minimize at The Open the earlier month, Woods was restricted to chipping and placing throughout a pre-tournament pro-am at The Northern Belief as a consequence of stiffness in his again.

Woods posted an opening-round 75 to go away him 13 strokes off the tempo, earlier than withdrawing forward of his second spherical as a consequence of a “mild oblique strain”.

August 2019 – After failing to qualify for his title defence on the Tour Championship, Woods underwent a process to restore minor cartilage harm in his left knee.

Woods stated he was “right on schedule” when he returned from the arthroscopic process on the Zozo Championship, the place he registered a three-stroke victory and record-equalling 82nd PGA Tour title.

March 2020 – Again stiffness brought on Woods to sit down out of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, with the identical harm ruling him out of the Gamers Championship – the final match earlier than the coronavirus shutdown – the next week.

December 2020 – Woods skilled nerve ache whereas enjoying within the PNC Championship alongside his son, Charlie, main him to bear a microdiscectomy process on December 23 to take away a pressurised disc fragment in his again.

Information in regards to the surgical procedure – the fifth on his again – was solely made public the next month, the place Woods stated in an announcement that he regarded “forward to begin training” and was “focused on getting back out on Tour”.

February 2021 – Talking as match host of the Genesis Invitational on February 21, Woods revealed there was “no timetable” for a aggressive return and that he had but to get again out on the golf course since his surgical procedure.

Two days later, on February 23, Woods suffered “multiple leg injuries” in a automotive crash in California, as his automobile rolled and crashed right into a ditch.

April 2021 – Woods shared the primary picture of his restoration from the automotive crash when he posted an image of himself standing on crutches in a leg brace alongside his canine, showing to be in excessive spirits with a giant smile on his face.

He later described his rehabilitation because the hardest of his profession, admitting that his preliminary purpose was “just looking forward to getting outside” after being motionless for a number of months. He was initially wheelchair-bound earlier than slowly transitioning to crutches after which strolling unaided.

November 2021 – Almost 9 months after the crash, Woods posts a video on social media of him hitting a golf ball on a driving vary for the primary time. The three-second clip included the caption: “Making progress.”

December 2021 – Woods performs along with his 12-year-old son, Charlie, within the PNC Championship in Orlando, ending in second place. Within the closing spherical, the pair rattled off 11 consecutive birdies at one level en path to a 57.

“The fact that I’m able to have this opportunity this year, even a couple weeks ago we didn’t really know whether or not I would be doing this, but here we are,” he stated.

March 2022 – After successful the PGA Tour’s inaugural Participant Affect Program bonus and its $8m first prize earlier within the month – regardless of not enjoying – Woods flew to Augusta and performed a spherical along with his son, Charlie, and Justin Thomas, sparking hypothesis a couple of Masters comeback.

April 2022 – Woods flew to Augusta Nationwide for extra apply and stated it could be a “game-time decision” if he performed within the match. He subsequently performed in The Masters and completed forty seventh in his comeback, carding a gap 71 and making the minimize earlier than fading badly over the weekend with consecutive rounds of 78.

“Never give up. Always chase after your dreams,” Woods stated when he was requested what he hoped folks had been drawing from his Masters efficiency. “I fight each and every day. Each and every day is a challenge. Each and every day presents its own different challenges for all of us. I wake up and let’s start the fight all over again.”

Could 2022 – Woods continues his comeback on the PGA Tour Championship however after carding a nine-over 79 within the third spherical at Southern Hills he decides to withdraw, saying he felt “sore” after negotiating the 18 holes in chilly and windy situations.

July 2022 – Woods introduced in June that he would sit out the US Open in Brookline, however was focusing on a return on the one hundred and fiftieth Open Championship at St Andrews. Regardless of receiving unbelievable assist on the scene of two of his main triumphs, Woods missed the minimize after carding rounds of 78 and 75, however was given a memorable send-off as he made his means up the 18th on Friday.

December 2022 – Woods publicizes that he won’t play within the Hero World Problem as a consequence of struggles with plantar fasciitis in his proper foot, however does characteristic alongside his son Charlie on the PNC Championship, an which he was aided by the flexibility to make use of a buggy.

February 2022 – One other return is confirmed as Woods publicizes that he’ll play on the Genesis Invitational, one other match at which he’s the host.

April 2023 – Woods makes the minimize at The Masters amid chilly and moist situations, earlier than withdrawing forward of the ultimate day, citing Arthritis. He then publicizes on social media that he has undergone a subtalar fusion process to “deal with his post-traumatic arthritis from his earlier talus fracture.

February 2024 – Woods returns from harm on the Genesis Invitational solely to withdraw as a consequence of sickness.

September 2024 – Woods undergoes surgical procedure on his decrease again to alleviate “back spasms and pain” that restricted his enjoying schedule throughout the 2024 season.

March 2025 – Woods, having already elected towards that includes at The Gamers Championship, confirms he has undergone surgical procedure after rupturing his Achilles.

October 2025 – Woods confirms he has undergone “successful” surgical procedure on his again to try to restrict “pain and a lack of mobility”. He had lumbar disk substitute surgical procedure after he skilled ache in his decrease again, the second time he has undergone again surgical procedure in simply over a yr and at the least the seventh he has had throughout his profession.

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