One of the most iconic athletes over the last thirty years could be getting close to the end of his legendary career.
Golf legend Tiger Woods had a less taxing surgery for a ruptured Achilles tendon on Tuesday morning, which will keep him out of the prestigious Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia in April and leaves in doubt whether he can compete in any other major championship the rest of the year.
Woods posted the unfortunate set of circumstances on his social media accounts without a timetable of how long he expected to be out or any other specifics except that the surgery was successful.
Embed from Getty Images“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,” Woods said.
He said he had a minimally invasive Achilles tendon repair for a ruptured tendon that the doctor said went smoothly. Procedures such as these involve smaller incisions, and the recovery time is shorter. But most recoveries take at least a month before someone can even bear weight on their foot.
Two-time Masters champion Bernhard Langer had a tear in his Achilles tendon last year that kept him on the shelf for three months.
Esteemed Dr. Charlton Stucken of the Hospital for Special Surgery in West Palm Beach, Florida performed the surgery and said in the post, “The surgery went smoothly, and we expect a full recovery.”
Woods set the tournament record last year by making the cut for the 24th time in a row. He was not so lucky in the other three majors, failing to make the cut in 2024. The British Open in July was the last time he played against top tier competition. He played with his son, 14-year-old Charlie, in the 36-hole PNC Championship in December. Woods also has played his TGL indoor circuit, the 18-hole Seminole Pro-Member last week and a round with 47the President Donald Trump a month ago.
Woods entered the Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines until withdrawing because he was still dealing with the grief of the February 4 death of his mother, Kultida.
Woods endured his sixth back surgery last September. He had lingering issues with the Achilles tendon prior to injuring the left one from hitting a shot at the Masters with an awkward stance. He also said the left Achilles tendon was the reason he withdrew from The Players Championship in 2011, when he was out for two months.
Woods badly damaged his right leg and ankle in February 2021 in a single car crash outside Los Angeles.
