Tiger Woods undergoes further fusion surgery

Just under a fortnight after an injury-enforced withdrawal from The Masters, Tiger Woods has undergone surgery on his foot.

A brief statement posted on his Twitter account revealed that the 15-time major champion had a subtalar fusion procedure to address “post-traumatic arthritis” caused by his previous talar fracture

The surgery was performed by Dr Martin O’Malley at HSS Sports Medicine Institute in New York City and is understood to have been successful.

“Tiger is currently recovering and looks forward to beginning his rehabilitation,” added the statement.

• 150th Open delivered £300m+ boost to Scotland

• Unvaccinated hopeful set to miss Chevron C’ship

Subtalar fusion is usually performed under general anaesthetic and involves cleaning and clearing of any damaged joint surfaces, which are then fixed together using one or two screws through the back of your heel.

According to various online sources, patients who undergo this procedure are advised not to put weight on their fused ankle for six to 12 weeks after the surgery. It is understood that it can take up to a year to feel the benefits of a subtalar fusion.

The news is bound to cast fresh doubt on Woods’ future in the game.

The 47-year-old has made only five tour starts since sustaining a catalogue of serious injuries in a near-fatal single-vehicle car accident in February 2021.

Widely shared footage of him at The Masters showed him limping heavily and struggling to walk during the rain-delayed third round of the tournament.

He withdrew on the Sunday morning, facing the prospect of 29 holes in a single day.

• Fellow PGA Tour pro defends Cantlay

• Chubby Chandler hits out at Rory McIlroy

Woods, of course, is no stranger to fusion procedures. In April 2017, he underwent an anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) in order to relieve debilitating pain from a degenerative disk in his lower spine.

It was his fourth back surgery in just two years and was regarded as a last resort after attempts to resolve his long-standing back issues through rehabilitation, medications, limiting activities and injections failed.

Two years after that operation, in April 2019, Woods won his 15th major – and his first since 2008 – at The Masters.

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor