Tiger Woods had ankle surgery in New York to help with his arthritis, 10 days after he pulled out of the Masters program after exacerbating his plantar fasciitis.
Tiger Woods underwent successful surgery on his ankle to treat arthritis, 10 days after he pulled out of the Masters after exacerbating his plantar fasciitis.
The surgery was performed by Dr. Martin O’Malley at HSS Sports Medicine in New York on the 47-year-old.
No timetable was given for his return, but a statement read: “Earlier today, Tiger underwent a subtalar bone fusion procedure to address post-traumatic arthritis from his previous ankle fracture.
“Al-Nimr is currently recovering and looking forward to starting his rehabilitation.”
It will almost certainly disqualify him from the PGA Championship in May – less than a month later, at Oak Hill, the next major on the golf calendar. In fact, news of the operation will put more scrutiny on whether he’ll ever return to golf.
Tiger Woods has undergone ankle surgery, days after he pulled out of the Masters team with an injury
Woods limped badly in Augusta and pulled up when he faced playing 29 holes in the day
Speaking in Augusta before competing in this year’s Masters tournament, Woods suggested it might be his last tournament there as a competitor.
“I don’t know how much there is in me,” he said, before the tournament. I am very lucky to have a leg.
“Mobility and stamina – going forward it will never be the same. I can’t prepare and play as many tournaments as I’d like but that’s okay and I’m OK with that.
Wet weather caused delays and a backlog of proceedings in Augusta, which meant Woods faced 29-hole play on the fourth day at The Masters.
The 15-time major winner made it to the weekend after making the cut with a single shot, but was battered by conditions at the start of his third round and dropped to the bottom of the leaderboard at +9.
Cameras caught him limping badly during the final moments of Saturday before play was suspended due to weather conditions, and the next day Woods confirmed he would not be returning to the track.
Woods was injured in 2021 when his car veered across a Los Angeles suburb at more than 85 mph, crushing his right leg so badly he said doctors were considering amputating it. When asked how much hardware she kept together, Woods replied, “A lot.”
In addition, he was forced to withdraw from the Hero World Challenge in December, citing plantar fasciitis, but he and his son Charlie competed in the PNC Championships later that month, where he was allowed to use a golf cart.
Woods said before the tournament in Augusta that he could play the Masters final
News of the surgery will almost certainly rule Woods out of the PGA Championship next month
After the event in Riviera, Woods reiterated his intention to compete in all four disciplines this year, if his body allows, but he will limit other appearances.
“I’m not going to play more major leagues and a couple more… That’s it, that’s all my body will allow me to do,” Woods said at Riviera.
My back is the same, all the surgeries I’ve had on my back, my legs are the same. I just can’t. This will only be my future.
So my goal last year was to play in all four majors, and I got three out of all four. Hopefully this year I can get all four and maybe sprinkle a little here and there.
But that’s it for the rest of my career. I know that and I understand that. That’s just my reality.
