A timeline of Tiger Woods' injuries
Tiger Woods has been blessed with a brilliant career. He has won 15 major championships, including the green jacket five times. But Rome wasn't built in a day. It took years of hard work, patience, and dedication for Woods to cement his long-lasting legacy in golf.
Many consider him a true hero, as he never gave up. He underwent several surgeries and injured himself on the greens, but every time he came up with something great. His injuries have been in the headlines since the beginning of his professional career, and here we will look at the timeline of Tiger Woods' fatal injuries.
1994: Benign Tumor
Tiger Woods is a child prodigy. He had a successful amateur career and started his professional career by winning a major tournament. However, he had surgery when he was 18 in 1994. Woods had a benign tumor in his left leg, and to remove it, he underwent surgery.
2002: Cyst removal
After his first surgery, it was a smooth ride for Tiger Woods. He won his first Masters at the age of 21 and, in the blink of an eye, became a household name around the globe.
But while he was enjoying and drafting his career, Woods' injury took a toll on him as he underwent surgery to remove the cyst from his left leg. After a brief break, Woods returned to play in 2003 and won the Buick Invitational tournament.
#2006: Shoulder blade injury
After Tiger Woods had just overcome leg injuries, he injured his left shoulder blade in 2006. However, he did not take it seriously and won the WGC-American Express Championship despite fighting in pain.
2007: ACL
Woods' injuries turned severe in 2007 when the golfer ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his knee. The pain became intense, but Woods opted against surgery.
2008: Arthroscopic knee surgery
His left knee has created significant issues throughout his career. His decision to opt out of surgery paid off in 2008 when he needed to go for arthroscopic surgery to repair the cartilage in his leg in April.
Later that year, in June, Woods played at the US Open despite being in pain and having two stress fractures in his left tibia. Fortunately, he won the championship but had to cut short the season to recover from his ACL reconstruction surgery.
2008 was very painful for the former World No. 1. In December, he ruptured his Achilles tendon and struggled throughout the following year.
2010: Neck injury
Woods had the best days of his career when he was ranked first in the world. However, he shockingly withdrew his name from the Players Championship during the final round in 2010. He was headed to the hospital when MRI reports revealed that Woods had an inflamed facet joint in his neck.
#2013: Elbow strain
Tiger Woods suffered an elbow strain in June 2013 and missed two events. He previously withdrew from the player's championship in 2011, citing Achilles and calf problems, and in 2012, he did not compete in the final round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship. In August 2013, he tweaked his back but still played for Barclays.
2014: Microdiscectomy
Due to back issues, Woods missed the Honda Classic and Arnold Palmer Invitational series in March 2014. He then withdrew from the Masters as he underwent a microdiscectomy.
2015: Second microdiscectomy
After the 2015 Masters, Tiger Woods underwent a second microdiscectomy surgery and then, in October, had a follow-up operation.
2017: Back spasms
Woods' subsequent injury came to light in 2017 when he withdrew from the Dubai Desert Classic in February. Reportedly, he had back spasms, and later that year, he had lower right back fusion surgery.
2020: Back surgery
Woods underwent his fifth back surgery in December 2020, followed by a microdiscectomy.
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2021: Car Accident
He had a fatal car accident while driving his SUV in California. Woods injured his leg in the accident and went on a hiatus from the game. He was on complete bed rest for a few months.
2022: Plantar Fasciitis
Tiger Woods is still struggling with injuries. In November 2022, he developed plantar fasciitis ahead of the World Hero Challenge.
He was set to compete in the tournament in December, but just before it began, Tiger Woods withdrew, citing a leg injury.