Tiger Woods will not participate in the Masters Tournament due to having back surgery.
After undergoing a procedure earlier this week, Woods announced his withdrawal from the tournament Tuesday, stating that he had surgery on his back for a pinched nerve.
Although the procedure, performed by neurosurgeon Dr. Charles Rich, was successful, Woods requires rehabilitation and rest that could keep him out of the game until summer.
Woods hasn’t missed a Masters since 1994 — even knee problems did not keep Woods out of the tournament in 2008, where he placed second before having surgery at the end of that year’s season.
Woods, 38, has quite an extensive injury history — accumulating numerous strains and tears in both his Achilles heels, ACL and MCL sprains, and ruptures in his left knee, along with an injured muscle in his left shoulder blade, to name a few.
But what will the tournament be like without Wood’s participation?
“It’s the Masters. It’s still the greatest golf tournament. We experienced a year without him. He is the center of the PGA Tour-sphere. He attracts the most eyeballs, the most attention, but there are a lot of great players out here and I think the TOUR held on quite well, stayed pretty healthy, while he was absent. Certainly, the Masters will not suffer,” said fellow PGA Tour player Matt Kuchar.
Woods played in the Honda Classic last month, and withdrawed during his final round, citing intense back pain.
The following week, he played at the World Golf Championships event and did not perform well, placing 25th.
After the past couple of weeks, Woods decided surgery was the best option.
“It will be a little different without him, but it’s still a great tournament,” golfer Stewart Cink said. “We played, back in 2008, we played a couple majors in a row without him, and they were still great tournaments, and the Masters will be great. But it’s kind of sad not to see Tiger over there because it’s always exciting to see what he’s going to do.”
Since turning professional at 20, Woods has won 14 major championships, the second highest following Jack Nicklaus who leads with 18, and 79 PGA Tour events, behind Sam Snead with 82 wins.
Merely three PGA titles away from Snead’s record, Woods does not plan on slowing down anytime soon.
“It’s tough right now, but I’m absolutely optimistic about the future,” Woods said. “There are a couple [of] records by two outstanding individuals and players that I hope one day to break. As I’ve said many times, Sam and Jack reached their milestones over an entire career. I plan to have a lot of years left in mine.”
On the quest for 18 majors, Woods would not miss the Masters if it meant jeopardizing his careers goals. He has recognized the seriousness of his injury and will prioritize his physical well-being.
“This is frustrating, but it’s something my doctors advised me to do for my immediate and long-term health,” Woods said.
