Tiger Woods Undergoes 7th Back Surgery After Suffering a ‘Collapsed Disc’

NEED TO KNOW

• Tiger Woods announced he underwent lumbar disc replacement surgery on Oct. 10
• This is his seventh back surgery in 11 years, but the golf pro said he made a “good decision” for his health
• Woods was also recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon earlier this year

Tiger Woods recently underwent surgery on his back — the seventh procedure he’s needed to address problems in his lower spine.

On Saturday, Oct. 11, the 49-year-old golf pro shared the news with a statement on X, formerly Twitter. 

“After experiencing pain and lack of mobility in my back, I consulted with doctors and surgeons to have tests taken,” he wrote. “The scans determined that I had a collapsed disc in L4/5, disc fragments and a compromised spinal canal.”

“I have opted to have my disc replaced yesterday and I already know I made a good decision for my health and my back,” he added.

Woods underwent lumbar disc replacement surgery on Oct. 10 to address the symptoms in his lower back. The surgery, which was deemed successful, was performed by Dr. Sheeraz Qureshi at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.

The 15-time major champion didn’t mention how long the surgery would keep him off the golf course. He hasn’t played since his loss in the PNC Championship last year.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

This comes after Woods ruptured his Achilles tendon earlier this year. 

“As I began to ramp up my own training and practice at home, I felt a sharp pain in my left Achilles, which was deemed to be ruptured,” he announced in March.  “Dr. Charlton Stucken of Hospital for Special Surgery in West Palm Beach, Florida performed a minimally invasive Achilles tendon repair for a ruptured tendon.”

He then quoted his doctor, who said that “the surgery went smoothly, and we expect a full recovery.”

Additionally, Woods has had six other back surgeries in the past, his first being a microdiscectomy in 2014 due to a pinched nerve. The following year, he underwent a second microdiscectomy and later had a follow-up procedure to address persistent discomfort in his back. He had two more microdiscectomy surgeries in 2017 and 2021. 

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

In September 2024, the golf legend underwent microdecompression surgery to relieve a nerve impingement in his lower back.

“The surgery went smoothly, and I’m hopeful this will help alleviate the back spasms and pain I was experiencing throughout most of the 2024 season,” he said at the time. “I look forward to tackling this rehab and preparing myself to get back to normal life activities, including golf.”

In addition to his back surgeries, Woods has also undergone numerous procedures to fix the pervasive pain in his leg from his 2021 car crash, where he nearly lost his right leg.

Read the original article on People