“The surgery went smoothly.” – wrote Tiger Woods on X back in September. What was he alluding to? Well, the golfer was hinting at the recent microdecompression procedure that helped him relieve the nerve impingement in his lumbar spine that had caused him back spasms over the season. But as we revisit his latest procedure, we can’t help but ask; Was his latest injury more severe than the one he had back in 2017 when he couldn’t even move his back and leg? What’s more, taking everything into consideration, when would he be back on the greens?

via Reuters

To find that out, we take a look at a video that was released almost four years ago. In the video named, ‘Tiger Woods’ Surgery: Covered | Tiger Tells How His 4th Surgery Led to the 2019 Masters Comeback’, the golfer, along with his doctor, comes out candid on how the whole procedure went and the effect it had on him. And boy… The clip does give a lot of clarity on how the issue in his spine back then, which caused him to miss out on the entire 2015-16 season along with the next one, was much more severe than the recent procedure.

USA Today via Reuters

Yes, you read that right! The surgery, which was the fourth surgical procedure on his back, helped him get rid of the debilitating pain in his leg and back. Meanwhile, the past three surgeries were considered failures owing to the pain still being present. And the success of the fourth one was all thanks to Dr. Richard D. Guyer of the Center for Disc Replacement at the Texas Back Institute, Plano. What exactly, then, had happened to the 15-time major champion back then?

Years of repetitive motion had caused the shock-absorbing bones in Tiger Woods’s lower spine to gradually wear down and become compressed. This, in turn, led to pinched nerves that caused extreme and constant pain. “Nothing would ever take the pain away,” divulged the PGA Tour Pro. “And the thing that I wanted to do was to just have that pain down my leg or have my foot work again. I would look at it and it just wouldn’t move and the searing pain going down my leg from my hip all the way down, it just would never leave. At 24 hours, 7 days a week, it adds up and it took a toll on me.”

Quite a shocking revelation that Woods gave back after carding his last major victory at the Masters. And to relieve the pain, he chose to undergo Spinal Fusion surgery. “The procedure that we did on Tiger was a minimally invasive anterior lumbar inner body fusion,” disclosed Dr. Guyer while alluding to the Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion, or ALIF. So basically, the surgeon joined together two of his spines in the lower back region from the front. And they did so via natural separations in the muscle, all the while using a procedure that has been in use for around 50 years.

They went ahead and removed the damaged disc while replacing it with a ‘Stalif M Ti’, a product that had a proven track record, and restored the height between the vertebrae. It helped limit the movement between the two bones and in relieving the pinched nerves. Moreover, by doing the surgery from the front, he was spared from any damage to the back muscles, ones that are so vital to an athlete, especially a golfer. Suffice it to say, it proved to be extremely effective. Evidence? The 2019 Masters win that the legend Tiger Woods claimed for himself. But then again, another doubt arises, after the most recent surgery, when will the 48-year-old be back on the greens?

Tiger Woods’s possible schedule for the rest of 2024

The golfer recently announced on social media his decision to not play the Hero World Challenge. “I am disappointed that I will not be able to compete this year at the Hero World Challenge,” wrote Tiger Woods. “But always look forward to being tournament host and spending the week with @HeroMotoCorp.” A truly unfortunate development, but a necessary one, regardless, since he would need all the rest he can garner to come back fully recovered onto the field.

Now there is only one event left. Yes, we are alluding to the PGA Tour Champions event, the PNC Championship. “Golf Digest reports that Tiger is ‘expected’ to play the PNC with son Charlie,” reported TWLEGION, a fan page dedicated to the golfer. “The same article says he has committed but have yet to see an official confirmation on that.” Although these are just reports, many of his fans would surely want the same. But will he be able to do it? That, my friends, is the question, isn’t it?