It’s nearing four months since Tiger Woods underwent Lumbar disc replacement surgery on Oct. 10 and coming up on a year since he ruptured his Achilles tendon.
However, Big Cat has been in the public eye plenty in recent months, whether it be at his Hero World Challenge or TGL matches supporting his Jupiter Links team. After Monday’s win against defending TGL champs Atlanta Drive GC, a reporter commented how well Woods was moving around and asked how close he was to returning.
His response was less than encouraging for those wanting to see him soon.
“Playing here? I don’t know,” Woods responded. “I like watching these guys. As far as competitive golf, it’s still some time.”
The recovery time for Lumbar disc replacement can be anywhere from 3-6 months. Add in the additional recovery from the Achilles tendon rupture, that’s another factor into determining how quickly Woods will return.
And, you have to consider all of the pieces of metal and other surgeries Woods has undergone through the years. He turned 50 in December. His body is nothing like what it was in his prime, nevertheless when he won the Masters in 2019.
Perhaps Woods was being coy when responding to a question about his health at the end of a TGL match, where Max Homa, Kevin Kisner and Akshay Bhatia — all who played — received two combined questions while Tiger was asked six.
Yet his answer is another reminder that Woods will never compete as much as he did in the past, and in this new chapter of his life, there’s no telling how often (or even which Tour) he will compete. But with two months until the Masters, it’s starting to become realistic that Woods won’t stroll down the fairways at Augusta National yet again.