Tiger Woods has ankle surgery in New York to help with arthritis, days after Masters exit

Tiger Woods has had successful surgery on his ankle to deal with arthritis 10 days after withdrawing from The Masters after his plantar fasciitis re-exacerbated.

The operation was performed by Dr. Martin O’Malley of the HSS Sports Medicine Institute in New York with the 47-year-old.

No timeline was given for his return, but a statement said: ‘Earlier today, Tiger underwent a subtalar fusion procedure to address his post-traumatic arthritis from his previous talar fracture.

“Tiger is currently recovering and looking forward to starting his rehabilitation.”

It will almost certainly rule him out of the PGA Championship in May – less than a month from now, at Oak Hill, the next Major on the golf calendar. Indeed, news of the surgery will further investigate whether he will return to golf at all.

Woods limped badly at Augusta and retired when he had to play 29 holes a day

Speaking in Augusta before competing in this year’s Masters, Woods suggested it could be his last tournament there as a competitor.

“I don’t know how many I have left in me,” he said ahead of the tournament. “I’m very lucky to have the leg.

‘Mobility and stamina – it will never be the same in the future. I can’t prepare and play as many tournaments as I would like, but that’s okay and I’m okay with it.’

Wet weather caused delays and backlogs in proceedings at Augusta, meaning Woods had to play 29 holes on the fourth day at The Masters.

The 15-time grand winner scraped through to the weekend after winning by a single shot, but was battered by conditions early in his third round and dropped to the bottom of the standings at +9.

Cameras caught him limping badly during Saturday’s final moments before play was suspended due to weather conditions, and the next day Woods confirmed he will not be returning to court.

Woods was injured in 2021 when his car drove off a road in suburban Los Angeles at more than 84 mph, crushing his right leg so badly that he said doctors were considering amputation. When asked how much hardware held it together, Woods replied, “A lot.”

He was additionally forced to withdraw from the Hero World Challenge in December, citing plantar fasciitis, but he played alongside son Charlie at the PNC Championship later that month, where he was allowed to use a golf cart.

Woods said before the tournament in Augusta that he could play his last Masters

News of the surgery will almost certainly exclude Woods from the PGA Championship next month

After the Riviera event, Woods reiterated his intention to compete in all four majors this year, body permitting, but will limit other appearances.

“I’m not going to play more than probably the majors and a few more… that’s it, that’s all my body will allow me to do,” Woods said in Riviera.

‘My back as it is, all the operations on my back, my leg as it is. I just can not. That’s just going to be my future.

“So last year my goal was to play in all four majors, I got three out of four. Hopefully I can get all four this year and maybe sprinkle a few here and there.

But that’s it for the rest of my career. I know that and I understand that. That’s just my reality.’