Tiger Woods was not expected to be competitive at the highest level of professional golf in 2026, but his latest back surgery does have ramifications for the business of several other major entities in the sport.
Woods, 49, announced Saturday that he had lumbar disc replacement surgery Friday in his L4/5 lumbar spine for lower back symptoms. “After experiencing pain and lack of mobility in my back, I consulted with doctors and surgeons to have tests taken,” he posted on social media. “The scans determined that I had a collapsed disk in L4/5, disc fragments and a compromised spinal canal. I opted to have my disc replaced yesterday, and I already know I made a good decision for my health and my back.”
It marks the seventh back surgery in 11 years for the 15-time major champion, and the second significant procedure this year, following surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon in March.
Woods did not give a timetable for a return to the golf course. In recent years, when healthy, he has played two low-stakes PGA Tour events in December: the limited-field Hero World Challenge that he hosts in the Bahamas, and the PNC Championship (which uses a parent-child format) with his son Charlie.
TGL Uncertainty
The biggest endeavor Woods could have on the sideline as his back recovers is Season 2 of TGL, the tech-infused indoor team golf league he cofounded and launched with Rory McIlroy last year.
Woods is the front man and co-owner of Jupiter Links Golf Club, which plays its season opener Jan. 13 (which will be 95 days post–back surgery for Woods). Last January, the TGL debut of Woods drew the league’s highest TV audience of the entire season, including the playoffs, with 1 million viewers on ESPN.
It’s a bit of déjà vu for TGL, as the playing status of Woods was uncertain in the lead-up to the league’s launch, as he recovered from another back procedure—that one a microdecompression surgery of the lumbar spine—in September 2024.
One More Ride?
After Woods turns 50 on Dec. 30, he will be eligible to compete on the PGA Tour Champions circuit, which features golf legends in their senior years still competing past their professional prime.
Woods would be the biggest star by far for the 50-plus tour, which typically plays two to three events each month, year-round. In August, four-time major champion Ernie Els told The Palm Beach Post that he hopes Woods plays on the PGA Tour Champions. “I’ve said, please come play,” Els said. “And I think it can only be beneficial to him.”
Woods has not confirmed that he would attempt to play, even if healthy, though.
