Tiger Woods undergoes yet another back surgery

Tiger Woods announced on his website that he has undergone a fourth back surgery.

Here we go again. TigerWoods.com announced on Wednesday that the 14-time major champion has undergone a fourth surgery to alleviate pain in his back and leg, pain that has kept him out of action, including once again missing The Masters, since February 2 when he shot an opening-round 77 at the European Tour’s Dubai Desert Classic.

"“The surgery went well, and I’m optimistic this will relieve my back spasms and pain. 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.”"

Woods will have to rest for a few weeks before he can begin his therapy and treatment. The surgery was performed by Dr. Richard Guyer of the Center for Disc Replacement at the Texas Back Institute. This surgery became necessary due to the fact that a disc in Tiger’s lower back narrowed severely due to the three previous surgeries he’s undergone. This disc has now been removed and the collapsed space has now been brought up to a normal level. Dr. Guyer says that once Tiger’s rehabilitation has finished and he’s completely healed, he’ll begin a training program geared toward allowing him to return to golf. If everything goes well, the recovery time would be approximately six months, which means that there’s zero chance of Tiger Woods returning to the PGA Tour this season.

Tiger has made just three official starts over the past two years and will miss the four majors for the second consecutive year but as he always does, Tiger remains optimistic that this surgery is more of a permanent fix than the previous three and this gives him the best chance to resume a full-time schedule on the PGA Tour and live a healthy life free from pain. In his statement, he also thanked his fans for their support.

"“I would like to thank all the fans for staying in touch and their kind wishes,” Woods said. “The support I have received has never waned, and it really helps.”"

So what do you think? Can Tiger Woods really make a comeback next season or is this the end for the greatest golfer of his generation? Please feel free to join in the conversation in our comments section below.

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