Woods was forced to withdraw from the golf classic to undergo surgery to fix a pre-existing condition.
After he was forced to withdraw from the Masters Tournament earlier this month due to an injury, Tiger Woods revealed on Wednesday that he had to undergo surgery to fix a pre-existing condition.
"Earlier today, Tiger underwent a subtalar fusion procedure to address his post-traumatic arthritis from his previous talus fracture," Woods' team tweeted on Wednesday. "It was performed by Dr. Martin O'Malley at HSS Sports Medicine Institute in New York City. He has determined the surgery to be successful."
"Tiger is currently recovering and looks forward to beginning his rehabilitation," the message continued. According to FootcareMD.org, a subtalar fusion surgery, which addresses damaged joints near the ankle, "locks bones together and is appropriate for diseased joints that can’t be replaced. Once a fusion heals together, it acts as one unit and can restore function and provide significant pain relief."
Recovery requires the patient to not put any weight on the foot for several weeks, followed by the use of a boot or cast for 8-12 weeks.
Woods was one of 54 golfers who made the cut to continue after the first two rounds at August National, finishing the first 36 holes at 3 over par. At the end of seven holes in the third round, he was at 9 over par.
This was the 23rd consecutive Masters that Woods was eligible to compete in, tying the all-time record held by Fred Couples (who also made the cut) and Gary Player.
The surgery comes just over two years after Woods was involved in a serious car crash in February 2021, which took place on the border of Rolling Hills Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes.
Shortly after Woods' accident, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva shared in a press conference that the primary cause of his car crash was speed.
Woods had to be pulled from his vehicle by firefighters and paramedics and was transported by ambulance to the hospital. The vehicle he was driving was totaled after it traveled several hundred feet from the center divider, hit a tree and rolled over several times.
Woods nearly lost his leg as a result of the crash. However, he managed to make a successful recovery and has continued to play competitively in the years following the accident.
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