Doctors say Tiger Woods’ latest back surgery could end his competitive career, even as the 15-time major winner vows to keep pushing for one more comeback
Doctors think Tiger Woods should stop playing golf
For most of his career, Tiger Woods has circumvented injuries, winning tournaments on one leg, walking with pain, and continually rebuilding his swing because of it. Doctors outside his camp are now saying if it were up to them, he’d never tee off competitively again.
Last Saturday, Woods revealed that he underwent a lumbar disc replacement surgery. The procedure was one of a long line of back operations that have defined the latter half of his career.
The 15-time major PGA Tour champion explained his decision in a statement. “After experiencing pain and lack of mobility in my back, I consulted with doctors and surgeons to have tests taken,” Woods wrote.
“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.” Fans have since urged Woods to retire online.
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The operation, performed by Dr. Sheeraz Qureshi and his team at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, was described as “successful.”
Still, as Woods recovers, the question of whether he should play again has caused online debates.
A source close to Woods told reporters that he “wants to push himself until there’s nothing more he can do,” and that a return remains a personal goal, even if there’s no timeline yet.
But Dr. Kern Singh, a leading spinal surgeon and co-director of the Minimally Invasive Spinal Institute at Rush in Illinois, told the Daily Mail that while Woods could technically return, he probably shouldn’t.
“Physiologically, yes, a return to professional competition is possible if healing proceeds uneventfully,” Dr. Singh said.
Dr. Singh explained that disc replacement surgery aims to restore motion and reduce stress, which would be critical for an athlete reliant on rotational power like Woods on the golf course.
Woods has suffered a lengthy list of injuries (Image: Getty Images)
But due to Wood’s surgical history, being 49 years old, and having so much done to his spine, the risk-benefit balance becomes altered beyond the typical case.
Dr. Singh is also the team physician for the Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox. He noted that the typical recovery from a disc replacement surgery lasts four to six weeks before gradual rehabilitation begins.
But Singh warned that for elite-level performance, especially for a golfer whose body relies on torque and fluid motion, the process could stretch to six months, or even a full year.
Woods’ latest season was in 2024 and suggested a decline in his play alongside his physical condition.
He pulled out of The Genesis Invitational in February, placed 60th at The Masters, and failed to make the cut at the PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and The Open.
His most recent completed tournament on the PGA Tour was at Augusta in 2024, where he scored a 16-over 304.
