Tiger Woods, the 15-time major champion, has had successful ankle surgery to treat arthritis caused by an earlier injury.
Woods, aged 47, withdrew from the 2023 Masters earlier this month due to plantar fasciitis, but his ankle issue arose from a previous fracture of his talus – a bone in the ankle joint.
The surgery, a subtalar fusion procedure, took place in New York on 20 April, and he now appears highly unlikely to compete in next month’s US PGA Championship.
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Woods has battled serious injuries, including a car accident in February 2021 that threatened amputation of his leg. He returned to action 14 months later to compete in the Masters, finishing 47th, but subsequently withdrew from the US PGA after a third-round 79, did not play in the US Open, and missed the cut in the Open Championship.
Although he has acknowledged that he can only play a few events each year, he is targeting majors and tournaments with personal significance.
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The surgery has raised further questions about Woods’ ability to compete at the highest level in future.
A statement on his social media channels said the surgery was successful, and he is now recovering and planning his rehabilitation.
“Earlier today, Tiger underwent a subtalar fusion procedure to address his post-traumatic arthritis from his previous talus fracture.
“It was performed by Dr Martin O’Malley at HSS Sports Medicine Institute in New York City. He has determined the surgery to be successful.
“Tiger is currently recovering and looks forward to beginning his rehabilitation.”
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