What Tiger Woods’ lumbar disc replacement surgery means for his future | Golf Central | Golf Channel

What Tiger Woods’ lumbar disc replacement surgery means for his future | Golf Central | Golf Channel

. >>> LAST NIGHT TIGER WOODS ANNOUNCED HE UNDERWENT A LUMBAR DISC REPLACEMENT SURGERY, IT TOOK PLACE ON FRIDAY. ON A POST ON X, TIGER SAID HE HAD THE PROCEDURE DUE TO PAIN AND MOBILITY ISSUES. IT MARKS THE SEVENTH SURGERY THAT TIGER HAS HAD ON HIS BACK. NO TIMETABLE WAS GIVEN WHETHER TIGER MAY RETURN TO COMPETITIVE GOLF. THIS IS A NOTABLE SURGERY TIME LINE FOR TIGER WOODS. WE ADDED FRIDAY’S SURGERY TO THE BOTTOM OF IT. IT IS TO SAY, THE LEAST, OMINOUS. WE ARE JOINED NOW BY A GOOD FRIEND AND SENIOR WRITER AT GOLF DIGEST, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. FIRST OF ALL, WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION TO THE NEWS YESTERDAY? ARE WE PASSED THE POINT OF SURPRISE? >> PROBABLY. ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING HIS HISTORY. YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY HAD THE FUSION BACK IN 2017. THAT WAS TO, YOU KNOW, GIVE LIMA CHANCE TO PLAY AGAIN. THEN HE HAD ANOTHER FUSION ON HIS ANKLE EARLIER THIS YEAR. AND THAT, SORRY, 2024, AND THAT WAS TO ALLEVIATE PAIN AS WELL. I THINK RIGHT NOW THE WHOLE ISSUE IS MANAGING PAIN SO THAT HE CAN SWING A GOLF CLUB WITH FREEDOM. EVEN THOUGH IT IS GOING TO COST HIM THE SECOND HALF OF THIS CAREER AND EVERYTHING ELSE AND PROBABLY MOST OF NEXT YEAR IT IS STILL BETTER TO GET RID OF THE PAIN AND START TO GET BACK INTO A MODE WHERE HE CAN SWING A GOLF CLUB LIKE THE PLAYER HE WANTS TO BE. JUST FIGHTING PAIN THE WHOLE TIME IT IS JUST IN VAIN, I THINK IT IS UNPLEASANT. HE HAS A PROBLEM WALKING ANY WAY. THERE IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD HELP THAT FEEL WORSE. SO, AGAIN, TRYING TO ELIMINATE THOSE THINGS THAT CAUSE PAIN AND MAKE GOLF UNPLEASANT. REALLY WHAT HE WANTS TO DO IS PLAY GOLF FREELY AND, YOU KNOW, PLAY THE SPORT THAT HE LOVES THE MOST. LOVES SO MUCH AS WELL AS HE CAN. >> WHAT ARE THE SAD PARTS ABOUT THE TIMING OF THIS SURGERY, OF COURSE, THIS TIME OF THE YEAR IS WHERE HE IS USUALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO TIGER AND CHARLIE, SPECULATING A WORLD CHALLENGE AND DOWN THE ROAD OF COURSE THERE WAS THE TALK ABOUT THE CHASE TO THE U.S. SENIOR OPEN AND BOB JONES, NOW IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THE PRIMARY SPECULATION WILL BE ABOUT HOW LONG THE ROAD TO RECOVERY WILL BE. >> WELL, I THINK THOSE THINGS ESPECIALLY THE BOB JONES CHASE FOR THE USGA NUMBER OF TITLES IS STILL IN PLAY. IT JUST HAD TO HAPPEN NOW IS THE PROBLEM. YOU KNOW, WHEN HE HAD THE FUSION THAT WAS FOR THE F1, L1 VERTEBRAE. THIS IS L5, L4 ABOVE IT. THAT IS WHERE ALL OF THE TENSION GOES NOW SINCE THE FUSION FROZE THAT ONE AREA. AND THIS IS NOW TAKING THE BULK OF ALL OF HIS ACTIVITY AND MOTION, IT HAD TO BE FIXED. UNFORTUNATE WITH THE TIMING BUT LONG-TERM THE BEST IDEA TO DO IT SOONER THAN LATER. IT WAS STARTING TO CROP UP. NO POINT IN GOING ON AND WAITING. SO, OKAY, HE WILL MISS THE FATHER AND SON AND THE WORLD TOUR AND THE TGR AND EVERYTHING. YOU KNOW, I THINK HE HAS YEARS OF GOLF AHEAD OF HIM IF HE CAN PLAY PAIN FREE. I KNOW IT MAYBE SOUNDS, YOU KNOW, WISHFUL THINKING TO A LOT OF PEOPLE. YOU KNOW, ERE IS PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS, A LOT OF THINGS HE CAN STILL DO AND HE MAY LOSE A LITTLE SWING SPEED BUT HE CAN TILL PLAY IN MAJORS, YOU NEVER KNOW, PHIL MICKELSON WON A MAJOR AT 51. I DON’T COUNT TIGER OUT IF HE IS PAIN FREE. >> WE WERE LED TO BELIEVE TIGER TURNED DOWN THE RYDER CUP CAPTAIN BECAUSE HE STEPPED UP HIS LEADERSHIP IN THE PGA TOUR. HOW SIGNIFICANT OF A BLOW IS THIS DEVELOPMENT MIGHT BE TO THOSE IMPORTANT INITIATIVES AND TIME LINES? >> NEXT YEAR IT WILL BE THE FIRST YEAR BETWEEN THE NEXT RYDER CUP. IF HE WANTS TO DO IT IS IN IRELAND, A PLACE THAT HE IS VERY FAMILIAR. I THINK HE STILL HAS PLENTY OF TIME TO DO T. I THINK TOO MUCH IS MADE OF HIS TWO-YEAR RUN UP FOR CAPTAIN. I DON’T THINK HE HAS TO DO A LOT NEXT YEAR. IF HE IS GETTING HEALTHY AND WANTS TO DO IT HE CAN HAVE A PRODUCTIVE RYDER CUP IN 2027. >> AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THE REACTION HAS BEEN MASSIVE OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE SURGERY. IT ALMOST WAS CASTING TIGER AS A VICTIM IN A SPORTS GREEK TRAGEDY SORT OF WAY. HOW MUCH OF TIGER’S LONG HISTORY OF PHYSICAL AILMENTS ARE OF HIS OWN MAKE SOMETHING. >> TIGER PUSHED IT AS HARD AS HE COULD AS AN ATHLETE AND OVER DID IT WITHOUT HAVING ALL OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE WEIGHT LIFTING AND HEAVY STUFF HE WAS DOING BACK IN THE MIDDLE 2000, AND PLAYING ON THE FRACTURED LEG IN 2008. AT THE SAME TIME IT MAY OF TAKEN A TOLL. NOW HE IS PAYING THE PRICE FOR IT. >> I DON’T KNOW THAT HE — I DON’T OCCUR HIM A VICTIM NECESSARILY OR SOMEBODY WHO SELF-DESTRUCTED. I THINK IT WAS JUST AN ATHLETE GOING AS FAR AS HE COULD IN THE MOMENT AND MAYBE NOT KNOWING THE EXTREMES HE WAS DOING AND

Golf Central reacts to Tiger Woods undergoing surgery to replace a lumbar disc, the latest procedure in an “ominous” timeline, and discuss what this means for his golf future. #Golf #GolfCentral #TigerWoods
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What Tiger Woods’ lumbar disc replacement surgery means for his future | Golf Central | Golf Channel
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