Tiger Woods faces another major setback in his legendary career after undergoing surgery on his left achilles tendon. The golf icon might miss not just the Masters, but possibly the entire 2025 season.
The 48-year-old felt a sharp pain in his achilles while training at home, forcing him to have emergency surgery on Tuesday.
“I was just trying to get back into my routine when it happened,” Woods shared on social media. “The pain came out of nowhere.”
Dr. Charlton Stucken performed the surgery at West Palm Beach’s Hospital for Special Surgery. While he called it a “minimally-invasive” procedure and expects Woods to make a full recovery, the timing couldn’t be worse.
This is tough news for golf fans who haven’t seen Woods compete on the PGA Tour this year. He was planning to return at the Genesis Invitational last month but withdrew following the death of his mother.
The recovery timeline looks challenging. Most achilles ruptures need 4-6 months to heal properly, which puts Woods’ entire major championship season at risk.
He’ll need to take it really slow at first. Doctors typically don’t want patients putting any weight on the injured leg for at least two weeks after surgery, and crutches are a must.
It’s just the latest hurdle for Tiger, who had his sixth back surgery last September. He did manage to play in December’s PNC Championship with his son Charlie, where they nearly won, finishing second to the Langers in a playoff.
He’s also appeared in several TGL matches for Jupiter Links, but a return to serious competition now seems far away.
For a player who’s already battled through multiple back surgeries, knee operations, and that devastating car crash in 2021, this new challenge raises more questions about his future in professional golf.
“I’m back home now and focusing on recovery,” Woods said. “Thank you for all the support.”
The golf world will be watching and waiting to see when – or if – the 15-time major champion can make it back to competitive play.
