Tiger Woods of Jupiter Links Golf Club tees off on the 12th hole during a match against the Los Angeles Golf Club on January 14, 2025, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier, File) Here's a rundown of Tiger Woods' injuries after he announced Saturday that he had his seventh lower back surgery:
Injuries over the years
December 1994: As a freshman at Stanford, Woods undergoes surgery to remove two benign tumors and scar tissue.
December 2002: Woods had surgery to remove fluid inside and outside the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee and to remove benign cysts. During this surgery, Woods said he learned that his ACL was damaged.
July 2007: He tore his ACL while jogging on a golf course after the British Open. Despite the injury, he won five of his last six tournaments, including the PGA Championship.
April 15, 2008: Two days after a second-place finish at the Masters, Woods undergoes arthroscopic surgery to repair cartilage damage, choosing not to have the ACL repaired to have a chance to play in the U.S. Open.
May 2008: Weeks before the U.S. Open, he is advised that, due to two stress fractures in his left tibia, he should expect to be on crutches for three weeks and out of golf for an additional three weeks.
June 24, 2008: Woods undergoes reconstructive surgery on his left knee to repair his ACL.
2008-2009: At the 2010 Masters, Woods revealed that he tore his right Achilles tendon in 2008 and re-injured it several times in 2009, but continued to play.
May 2010: Woods withdraws during the final round of the Players Championship, citing what he believes is a possible bulging disk. “I’ve been playing with a bad neck for a while,” he tells reporters. It is later diagnosed as inflammation in a joint in his neck.
April 2011: He announces he will withdraw from the Wells Fargo Championship due to a “minor injury” to his left knee and Achilles tendon, which he claims he suffered at the Masters.
May 2011: In his first tournament since his injury was announced, Woods abruptly withdrew from the Players Championship after nine holes, exiting TPC Sawgrass early for the second consecutive time. “My knee flared up, and then the Achilles followed,” he told reporters.
March 2012: He withdrew with seven holes remaining in his final round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship, citing a left Achilles tendon injury. Two weeks later, he won at Bay Hill in his next tournament.
June 2013: Announces he will miss the AT&T National due to a left elbow strain.
March 2014: He retires on the 13th hole during the final round of the Honda Classic, citing lower back spasms.
April 2014: Woods announces he will miss the Masters for the first time in his professional career. He also reveals he underwent surgery for a pinched nerve in his back and hopes to return to the PGA Tour "sometime this summer."
August 2014: He withdraws on the ninth hole of the final round of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, citing lower back pain.
February 2015: In his second tournament of the year, Woods withdrew after completing 11 holes at the Farmers Insurance Open, citing a back injury.
September 2015: After showing signs of improvement in his final appearance of the season at the Wyndham Championship, Woods announced on September 18 that he had undergone a second microdiscectomy to remove a disc fragment that was pressing on his nerve.
October 2015: He announces on his website that he had a “successful” procedure following his recent back surgery.
April 2016: Woods announces he will miss the Masters for the second time in three years.
February 2017: He withdraws from the Omega Dubai Desert Classic before the start of his second round due to back spasms.
April 2017: Woods reveals on his website that he underwent fusion surgery on his lower back.
May 2017: He was arrested in Jupiter, Florida, on suspicion of driving under the influence. Woods clarifies that he hadn't consumed alcohol and that he had "an unexpected reaction to prescription medication."
July 2017: Woods tweeted that he “recently completed an intensive private program out of state” as he seeks professional help following his DUI arrest on May 29.
October 28, 2017: Woods pleads guilty to reckless driving and enters a diversion program. He receives one year of probation and is ordered to pay a fine of $250 and court costs.
March 4, 2019: After an injury-free 2018 and competing in three events in 2019, Woods announced his withdrawal from the Arnold Palmer Invitational, citing a neck strain.
August 27, 2019: Woods announces he underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair minor ligament damage in his left knee.
January 19, 2021: Announces that he has undergone his fifth microdiscectomy on his back.
February 23, 2021: Woods was involved in a single-vehicle rollover accident outside Los Angeles. According to a statement from his doctor, Woods suffered "significant" injuries to his right leg and ankle.
May 21, 2022: After making the cut at the Masters, Woods also made the cut at the PGA Championship. However, after a third-round 79, he informed the PGA of America that he was retiring.
April 9, 2023: In his second tournament of the year, after tying for 45th at his own Genesis Invitational, Woods made the cut at the Masters. However, due to multiple weather suspensions, he needs to play 28 1/2 holes on Sunday to complete his rounds. Woods, who played Saturday in cold and rainy conditions, announced his withdrawal early Sunday on Twitter, stating: “I am disappointed to have to withdraw this morning due to a flare-up of my plantar fasciitis.”
April 19, 2023: Woods announced on his Twitter account that he underwent a subtalar fusion procedure on his right ankle to “address his post-traumatic arthritis from a previous talus fracture.”
September 13, 2024: Woods reports that he underwent surgery on his lower back, which he described as a microdecompression of the lumbar spine to address nerve compression in his lower back.
March 11, 2025: Woods underwent surgery after rupturing his left Achilles tendon while ramping up his training in preparation for the Masters. The surgery was described as "minimally invasive."
October 11, 2025: Woods underwent lower back surgery to replace a disc. He explained that he had been dealing with pain and lack of mobility, and scans revealed a collapsed disc at his L4/L5, disc fragments, and a compromised spinal canal.
