Tour News
Tiger Woods has surprise back surgery, return uncertain
Unfortunately, the hip pain that plagued Tiger Woods on the weekend at the Wyndham Championship in August has a familiar root: the battered golfer’s back. And as a result, the 39-year-old had a second back surgery in as many years Wednesday, according to a statement on his website.
[quote_box_center]”An examination clearly showed that the…discomfort was coming from his back, and Woods elected to have…surgery quickly in order to return to the PGA TOUR as soon as possible,” the statement reads in part.[/quote_box_center]
The surgery in question is the same procedure he had in March of 2014 — a microdiscectomy — and was performed by the same surgeon in Park City, Utah.
Neurosurgeon Dr. Charles Rich, who performed the operation, said, “With the upcoming offseason, the decision was made to remove a small disc fragment that was pinching his nerve. The microsurgery was a complete success.”
Even with the “complete success,” the former world No. 1 will miss the Frys.com Open, the Bridgestone America’s Golf Cup, and the Hero World Challenge he had planned to play. The date of his return is unknown at this point, with indications that he hopes to be back early in 2016. His website indicated, “Woods will begin intensive rehabilitation and soft tissue treatment within a week.”
According to his agent, Mark Steinberg (per ESPN.com), Woods committed to playing the Frys.com Open, “thinking it [a previously scheduled appointment] was going to be a regular checkup. Obviously, that area where he had the microdiscectomy had to be treated again. And it leads us to where we are now.”
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 Valero Texas Open
GolfWRX is on site this week at the Valero Texas Open.
The event has been around since 1922, making it one of the oldest on the PGA Tour calendar. Over the years, it’s been held at a variety of courses across the Lone Star State, but it’s found its home at TPC San Antonio in recent years. Some of the biggest names in golf have taken home the title here, including Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, Lee Trevino, and Ben Crenshaw.
GolfWRX has its usual assortment of general galleries, WITBs and special pull-out albums. As always, we’ll continue to update the links below as more photos come in from TPC San Antonio.
General Albums
WITB Albums
- Ben Taylor – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Paul Barjon – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Joe Sullivan – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Wilson Furr – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Ben Willman – SoTex PGA Section Champ – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Jimmy Stanger – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Rickie Fowler – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Harrison Endycott – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Vince Whaley – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Kevin Chappell – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Christian Bezuidenhout – WITB (mini) – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Scott Gutschewski – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
Pullout Albums
- Cameron putter – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Ben Taylor with new Titleist TRS 2 wood – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Swag cover – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Greyson Sigg’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Davis Riley’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Josh Teater’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Hzrdus T1100 is back – – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Mark Hubbard testing ported Titleist irons – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Tyson Alexander testing new Titleist TRS 2 wood – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Hideki Matsuyama’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Cobra putters – 2024 Valero Texas Open
See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
GolfWRX is on site in the Lone Star State this week for the Texas Children’s Houston Open.
General galleries from the putting green and range, WITBs — including Thorbjorn Olesen and Zac Blair — and several pull-out albums await.
As always, we’ll continue to update as more photos flow in. Check out links to all our photos from Houston below.
General Albums
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Monday #1
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Monday #2
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Tuesday #1
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Tuesday #2
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Tuesday #3
WITB Albums
- Thorbjorn Olesen – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Ben Silverman – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Jesse Droemer – SoTX PGA Section POY – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- David Lipsky – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Martin Trainer – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Zac Blair – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Jacob Bridgeman – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Trace Crowe – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Daniel Berger – WITB(very mini) – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Chesson Hadley – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Callum McNeill – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Rhein Gibson – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Patrick Fishburn – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Peter Malnati – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Raul Pereda – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Gary Woodland WITB (New driver, iron shafts) – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Padraig Harrington WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
Pullout Albums
- Tom Hoge’s custom Cameron – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Cameron putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Piretti putters – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Ping putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Kevin Dougherty’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Bettinardi putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Cameron putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Erik Barnes testing an all-black Axis1 putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Tony Finau’s new driver shaft – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 Players Championship
On the heels of Scottie Scheffler’s dominant victory at Bay Hill, the PGA Tour heads a little farther north in Florida to TPC Sawgrass this week for The Players Championship. And of course, GolfWRX is on site to get a look at what the players are playing.
We’ve already spotted a new Titleist mini driver this week, and there’s plenty more.
Check out our photos below!
Pullout Albums
- New Titleist 2 wood – 2024 The Players Championship
- Cam Young testing Titleist’s new 2-wood – 2024 THE PLAYERS Championship
- Hole Nos. 17 and 18 – 2024 THE PLAYERS Championship
- Toulon Small Batch Texas putter – 2024 The Players Championship
- Swag Golf custom headcovers – 2024 The Players Championship
- New Ping PLD staff bags – 2024 The Players Championship
- SuperStroke St. Patrick’s Day putter grip – 2024 The Players Championship
- Taylor Montgomery using PuttView X training goggles – 2024 The Players Championship
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Arm Chair Doctor
Sep 20, 2015 at 11:33 am
Direct result of juicing all those years
Slimeone
Sep 20, 2015 at 9:02 am
Tiger is a microdiscectomy addict.
Steve
Sep 19, 2015 at 9:13 am
Who cares he is 283 in the world and sinking fast. Has a broken body and mind, he will never be the legend he was. To bad would have loved to see it. But it is over people, time to move on. There is alot of young talent, that draws no interest. But for the avid fan atleast it is golf. Golf is a niche sport and without Tiger and Phil not in contention it will shrink.
The dude
Sep 19, 2015 at 7:35 pm
Go back to the tennis court bub….Phil has been done for some time and so has Tiger…ratings are fine….and So is the sport
Steve
Sep 19, 2015 at 9:14 pm
Bub?
Steve
Sep 19, 2015 at 9:43 pm
I quess in your book 23 in the OWGR is done. Anyone outside the top twenty is done, right bub? The ratings for golf are abysmal , not my words Tim Fichems.
Logical
Sep 20, 2015 at 5:40 pm
Don’t really understand the point you’re making. “Get over it” and allow the sport to shrink? Ok….
Obviously you’re forgetting, Jack won that 86 masters at 46. Tiger is 7 years younger.
Tiger is the primary reason golf was as popular as it was for the last 20 years. He’s the primary reason we had so many developers built and invested in courses. He’s the primary reason the sport has seen so much corporate investment, innovation and R&D. The sport you know and love today has been so influenced by his presence within, that you should realize you owe at least some thanks to his involvement, like him as a person or not.
As I watch courses close and read over and over how interest in the sport is dropping like a stone, I can’t help but project forward. Maybe you’re too young to realize, but this decline means in 5 years there may be fewer courses, they may be maintained poorly. There may be fewer manufacturers and less innovation and choice. As a golfer, the potentials suck.
You don’t have to like him, but you should be smart enough to realize as a fan of playing the sport, a comeback (or even a glimmer of success) only helps the rest of us who love to play and want the sport as healthy as it was 10 years ago. Because right now, there’s no one to “move on” to. No one seems to have that same killer instinct that was so captivating to the sport.
The current super-tour top 5 all seem like great guys to hang out with. But that doesn’t mean the world wants to watch them walk around on Sunday’s. Tiger’s intensity and dominance (and the lack of apologies for it) at the time, did make people want to watch. It was similar to watching Jordan play basketball, You didn’t have to be a basketball fan to get sucked in.
I sure hope someone shows up with that same attitude and captivating persona soon or we’ll keep watching them pave over back 9s for more condos and tennis courts.
Bert
Sep 19, 2015 at 8:48 am
Hopefully the pain is stopped. Those with pinched nerve problems know the pain at times can be so bad you can’t walk, or even get out of bed easily, much less play golf. The bad news is I’ve never heard of the problems being totally cured with surgery. Surgery can treat one area, then problems progress to other areas. For anyone undergoing back surgery I wish them the best; normally leg pain from nerve damage will follow. Of course I’m not a doctor but so many of my friends have been down this road more than once. For me I’m still in the pain management arena.
Charles
Sep 19, 2015 at 7:57 am
Back pain is easier to cure than the double cross and chipping yips. Please Tiger, stop visiting the doctors and go back to Butch Harmon to return to number 1, a place you deserve and never should be taken from. Good luck and good rehab.
Lar
Sep 18, 2015 at 10:11 pm
Good for him. Fix it.