Tiger Woods: How many back surgeries has had| List of surgeries

Tiger Woods: How Many Back Surgeries Has He Had? — Complete List & Timeline

Tiger Woods, one of the greatest golfers in history, has not only battled scores on the course — he’s also waged a long-term battle with his body, particularly his spine. Over the years, Woods has undergone multiple back surgeries to address chronic pain, nerve impingement, herniated discs, and degeneration. In this article, we’ll provide a detailed timeline and breakdown: how many back surgeries Woods has had, what types, when, and how they impacted his career.

Why Tiger Woods’ Back Matters (to His Game)

Golf is often seen as a low-impact sport, but the torque, twisting, and repetitive strain on the spine make back injuries especially common among elite players. In Tiger’s case, a combination of genetic predisposition, intensive training, and wear-and-tear over decades has led to degenerative disc disease, herniations, and nerve impingement.

For a player whose power, flexibility, and swing depend on spinal health, each surgery carries not just risks to recovery, but to performance and longevity.

How Many Back Surgeries Has Tiger Woods Had?

As of late 2025, Tiger Woods has undergone seven notable back surgeries. His most recent, in October 2025, involved a lumbar disc replacement (L4/5) after a collapsed disc and fragments were discovered.

Below is a structured timeline, including known dates, surgery types, and context.

Timeline & List of Tiger Woods’ Back Surgeries

Below is a detailed list of the known back/spine surgeries Tiger Woods has had, from first to most recent:

Thus, the count stands at seven surgeries to date (2025), with the latest being a disc replacement rather than a microdiscectomy or fusion.

Notes & Caveats

• Some sources count only six spine surgeries as of 2024; the seventh was added more recently.

• Earlier references and background articles sometimes use language like “six surgeries over the past decade” around 2024.

• The 2025 surgery is fairly new, so older summaries do not include it.

• It is possible there were supplementary procedures, adjustments, or minimally invasive interventions that are less publicized and not included in mainstream timelines.

Types of Spine Procedures Woods Has Undergone

Understanding what each surgery entails helps appreciate the risk, recovery, and impact on his athletic career.

Microdiscectomy / Microdecompression

• What: Removal of a portion of herniated disc material compressing nerve roots.

• Purpose: Alleviate nerve pain (sciatica, leg pain, numbness).

• Woods’ usage: This was the “go-to” procedure in his earlier surgeries (2014, 2015, 2020).

• Prognosis: Generally quicker recovery (weeks to a few months), but recurrence is possible.

Spinal Fusion (Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion, ALIF)

• What: Fusion of two vertebrae using bone graft, cages, screws/rods to eliminate motion at a degenerative segment.

• Purpose: Stabilize degenerated or unstable spine segments, reduce recurrent disc herniation or deformity.

• Woods’ use: In April 2017, he had anterior lumbar interbody fusion.

• Trade-offs: Reduces motion at fused level, sometimes increases stress on adjacent segments (adjacent segment disease).

Disc Replacement (Total Disc / Artificial Disc)

• What: Replacing a degenerated disc with an artificial disc to preserve motion.

• Purpose: Maintain some spinal flexibility while relieving compression.

• Woods’ case: In October 2025, a lumbar disc replacement at L4/5 was performed due to a collapsed disc and spinal canal compromise.

• Significance: A departure from prior microdiscectomy or fusion, possibly chosen to preserve motion and reduce stress on adjacent levels.

Impact on His Golf Career & Recovery Challenges

Each surgery has come with its own recovery protocol, physical limitations, and potential to affect Woods’ swing, stamina, and ability to compete at the highest level.

Recovery Timeline & Limitations

• Microdiscectomy: Typically 8–12 weeks or more to return to full activity.

• Fusion: Longer healing period, sometimes six months or more before full play.

• Disc replacement: As a newer procedure in his case, long-term outcomes (for Woods specifically) are still unfolding.

Limitations include stiffness, reduced flexibility, risk of adjacent segment degeneration, and lingering pain or muscle compensation.

Performance Impact & Comebacks

Despite multiple surgeries, Woods has shown remarkable resilience.

• Post-fusion, he won the 2019 Masters, arguably his greatest comeback.

• He has repeatedly returned to competition but often in a restricted schedule, and occasionally withdrawing mid-tournament due to pain or spasms.

• The 2021 car crash further complicated recovery by damaging his right leg and ankle, adding to his physical load.

• In 2024, he underwent the sixth back surgery to relieve nerve impingement and spasms.

• The 2025 disc replacement might mark a turning point in how he manages spinal stress for future play.

Risks & Long-Term Outlook

• Adjacent segment disease (ASD): A fused level may shift stress to adjacent vertebrae, accelerating degeneration.

• Limited mobility: Reduction in spinal motion can influence swing mechanics, rotational flexibility, and endurance.

• Recurring pain: Even after surgery, scar tissue, residual nerve irritation, or muscle imbalances may persist.

It’s unclear whether Woods will resume a fully competitive schedule; the 2025 surgery’s success will heavily influence that decision.

Why the Count Grew from 6 to 7

Many media and medical articles through 2024 cited six total back surgeries. However, the 2025 announcement of the disc replacement added one more. Thus, any retrospective list must be updated to reflect the seventh procedure.

Breakdown & Key Highlights

• Total surgeries (as of 2025): 7

• Most common procedure type: Microdiscectomy / microdecompression (at least 4–5 times)

• Major procedure: Spinal fusion (2017)

• Recent strategy shift: Disc replacement (2025)

• Career resilience: Despite repeated surgeries, Woods has made multiple comebacks

• Ongoing risk: Future degeneration, adjacent-segment stress, limited mobility

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: Did Tiger Woods have only six back surgeries or seven?
As of 2024, many sources reported six back surgeries (through the microdecompression in 2024). In October 2025, he underwent a disc replacement in his lumbar spine (L4/5), bringing the total to seven.

Q2: What was the 2017 back surgery for?
In 2017, Tiger had an anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) to fuse vertebral segments and reduce nerve irritation and instability.

Q3: How many microdiscectomy surgeries has he had?
He has had at least four microdiscectomy / microdecompression surgeries (2014, 2015 [twice], 2020) before the 2024 procedure.

Q4: What is disc replacement and why is it significant for Tiger?
Disc replacement involves removing a degenerated disc and replacing it with an artificial disc to preserve motion rather than fusing vertebrae. In Tiger’s case, this marks a departure from fusions or microdiscectomies, aiming to balance pain relief with flexibility.

Q5: Can he return to full professional golf?
That remains uncertain. Past surgeries show his ability to make comebacks, but repeated spine procedures, the 2021 car crash injuries, and the long recovery from 2025’s disc replacement complicate predictions. His schedule is likely to remain selective, and full competitiveness may be limited.

Q6: What are the risks of repeated back surgeries?
Risks include reduced mobility, adjacent segment degeneration, scarring, chronic pain, hardware complications, and difficulty in recovery.

Final Thoughts & Prognosis

Tiger Woods’ journey through seven back surgeries is a testament to both his physical perseverance and the relentless demands elite golf places on the spine. At each stage, he has balanced pain relief, structural stability, and maintaining performance. The shift in 2025 to a disc replacement suggests a potential evolution in how he manages his spinal health — perhaps prioritizing motion preservation over pure structural rigidity.

However, the true test lies in recovery and adaptation. Will he return to a competitive schedule? Will his body sustain the demands of elite play? Only time (and his 2025 rehab) will tell.