It was back in early 2023 when Tiger Woods stepped on the competitive golf course to take a shot at the 2023 Genesis Invitational in February. But since then, the American legend hasn’t been back. He has dealt with a lot of unforeseen scenarios in recent times. But now, with the Hero World Challenge 2025 approaching, one question lingers on: Will Woods be back on the fairways with his clubs to compete?

Just a few weeks ago, in October 2025, Woods had to undergo yet another surgery, and this time it was a lumbar disc replacement surgery. Over the years,  hehas undergone over 13 surgeries, including several on his back and knee. Last month, Woods shared the disheartening news that he would be undergoing yet another surgery. It was an L4-L5 disc replacement surgery on his lumbar spine. 

While the surgery was successfully conducted and Woods later shared a positive health update, he is now prescribed to take rest. And owing to the same reason, as it appears, he won’t be able to make it to the Hero World Challenge this year. An event where the 15-time major champion not only participates but also hosts.

Post the recent surgery, Woods shared why he decided to go for the surgery. He added, “After experiencing pain and lack of mobility in my back, I consulted with Doctor and Surgeons to have tests taken. The scans determined that I had a collapsed disk in L4/5, disc fragments and a compromised spinal canal.” After the successful surgery, he stated, “I already know I made a good decision for my health and my back”. 

Before that, just months ago, in March 2025, Woods underwent another surgery after damaging his left Achilles tendon during his training session. Moreover, a year back, in September 2024, Woods had to sign up for back surgery to relieve a nerve impingement in his lower back. Thus, the American legend would indeed need some time to recover fully to hit the courses in full form yet again.

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How Tiger Woods survived a surgery early on in his career and fought back

Tiger Woods and his injuries date back a long time. While he has undergone a plethora of surgeries, the first of them came way back in 2008. After finishing as runner-up at the Masters, the golfing legend was compelled to take a couple of months’ break. After consulting his medical team, Woods underwent an arthroscopic surgery to address the damaged cartilage in his left knee. Now, this injury has been bothering the iconic golfer for a long time. From the 2007 Open Championship, to be precise. 

However, even after the surgery, Woods was told by the doctors that he had a couple of stress fractures in his left tibia and must miss a further six weeks of action. But the US icon did not bat an eye to all the warnings. Pushing through excruciating pain in his left knee, Woods marveled the crowd at the US Open to clinch the well-deserved title. However, soon after that, the injury did get the better of Woods. 

As it would turn out, the triumph at Torrey Pines was Woods’ final appearance before he came back again after nine months. In the meantime, the US star had reconstructive surgery on his ACL along with a cartilage damage repair procedure. Thus, for the ones concerned about Woods, it looks like things are quite grim. But in reality, he has championed surgeries and came back to establish himself as one of the greatest. Thus, one can definitely hope that the same will be the case this time around, too.