Digital Cover health-and-fitness© Ross Kinnaird

Tiger Woods undergoes surgery for car crash related injuries, 'no timetable' on return to golf

The pro-golfer had previously pulled out of his participation in the Masters Tournament April 9th

Beatriz Colon - New York
New York WriterNew York
April 20, 2023

Tiger Woods, just shy of two weeks after having had to pull out of the Masters Tournament when an old injury resurfaced, underwent surgery to treat it.

The surgery, already determined to have been successful, addressed post-traumatic arthritis as a result of his car crash in February 2021 in Los Angeles that left him with severe leg injuries and influenced his decision to retire from playing golf full time.

In a statement April 9 when opting out of the premiere championship, the 15-time major champion said: "I am disappointed to have to WD this morning due to reaggravating my plantar fasciitis. Thank you to the fans and to @TheMasters who have shown me so much love and support. Good luck to the players today!"

MORE: Tiger Woods and girlfriend split as her lawsuit against him goes public

At the time, ESPN deemed his play on the side of underwhelming, due to both his injury and inclement weather, and he placed at the bottom of the 54 players who'd made the 36 hole cut.

Now, according to a new statement shared Wednesday to the 47-year-old's Twitter account, Dr. Martin O'Malley at HSS Sports Medicine Institute in New York performed the subtalar fusion procedure to address arthritis caused by a previous talus fracture.

MORE: Tiger Woods actually met girlfriend Erica Herman years ago – inside relationship

Mark Steinberg, Tiger's agent at Excel Sports, told The Associated Press: "He's resting now and will start the recovery process."

© Getty

Tiger was facing both bad weather and resurfaced pain from his past injuries

Though the surgery took place in New York, his agent also revealed that the athlete has already returned to his home near Jupiter, Florida, the source of a current legal battle between the golfer and his ex-girlfriend Erica Herman.

MORE: Tiger Woods' ex-girlfriend Lindsey Vonn responds to leaked nude photos

MORE: Tiger Woods releases statement on DUI arrest

Nonetheless, while he is now on the mend, his agent did say there was "no timetable on this," adding: "The first goal is to recover and lead a much more enjoyable day-to-day life."

© Getty

The athlete's return to golf remains uncertain

In addition to grappling with persistent health concerns, Tiger is concurrently embroiled in a legal dispute with his former girlfriend. She is not only seeking to invalidate the Non-Disclosure Agreement she signed at the onset of their relationship in 2017, but also pursuing an additional $30 million in damages, alleging that he infringed upon her right to reside at their jointly-lived residence.

Court documents reveal that Erica is suing both Tiger and his trust, the Jupiter Island Irrevocable Homestead Trust, for violating Florida's Residential Landlord Tenant Act. The suit was initially filed in October 2022 shortly after the two split, and she noted in the court filing that she has lived in the Florida home since it was purchased.

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