Woods undergoes lumbar disc replacement, return timeline unclear

Tiger Woods announced on Oct. 11 that he underwent lumbar disc replacement surgery after scans revealed a collapsed disc at L4-5, disc fragments and a compromised spinal canal, leaving the 49 year old’s timeline for a return to competitive golf unclear. The operation was performed Friday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York by Dr. Sheeraz Qureshi, and Woods said the procedure was successful.

“After experiencing pain and lack of mobility in my back, I consulted with doctors and surgeons to have tests taken,” Woods wrote in a post on X. “The scans determined that I had a collapsed disc in L4-5, disc fragments, and a compromised spinal canal. I opted to have my disc replaced yesterday, and I already know I made a good decision for my health and my back.”

The disc replacement is the seventh back surgery of Woods’s professional career and his second major back procedure in roughly a year. He also underwent surgery in September 2024 to relieve a nerve impingement and sustained a ruptured left Achilles tendon in March 2025 that required repair. Woods has not competed on the PGA Tour since The Open Championship in July 2024 and has skipped much of the 2025 season while...