Tiger Woods sidelined at start of 2021 after latest back procedure

Tiger Woods is set to miss his first two scheduled events in 2021 after undergoing a fifth back procedure.

Tiger Woods in action in the PNC Championship at the Ritz Carlton Golf Club in Orlando, Florida last month. Picture: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images.

The 15-time major winner revealed that he had undergone a microdiscectomy to alleviate nerve pain in his lower back in a post on Twitter last night.

It read: “Tiger has recently undergone a microdiscectomy procedure to remove a pressurized disc fragment that was pinching his nerve after experiencing discomfort following the PNC Championship.

“His doctors and his team have determined it to be successful and expect him to make a full recovery.”

The news means that Woods will miss next week’s Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines and the Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles.

“I look forward to begin training and am focused on getting back on tour,” said the 45-year-old in the statement.

It is the fourth time that Woods has had this particular procedure, the first time in the spring of 2014 then again late the following year.

He then had more serious spinal fusion operation in April 2017, which stopped him from even swinging a golf club for six months.

After returning from that surgery in 2018, the former world No 1 returning to winning ways in the Tour Championship before adding both the Masters and Zozo Championship in 2019.

Last year, Woods was unable to produce his best form, complaining quite often about a stiff back and soreness.

Woods will be aiming to overcome this setback to be ready for the 2021 edition of the Masters, which starts on 8 April.

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