Tiger Woods’ battle with his back has reached another critical juncture, raising fresh concerns about the 15-time major champion’s future on the course.

The 49-year-old legend underwent his seventh back surgery on Friday, October 11, 2025, at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. Dr. Sheeraz Qureshi performed the lumbar disc replacement at the L4/L5 level after scans revealed a collapsed disc, fragments, and a compromised spinal canal. “After experiencing pain and lack of mobility in my back, I consulted with doctors and surgeons to have tests taken,” Woods wrote on X the following day. “I opted to have my disc replaced yesterday, and I already know I made a good decision for my health and my back.”

Golf Central didn’t hold back on the details. The show displayed Woods’ complete surgery timeline on screen, and the visual told a brutal story. Senior writer Jaime Diaz from Golf Digest joined the panel to break down what this latest procedure means for his future.

“Well, probably,” Diaz said when asked if Woods’ latest setback still surprises anyone. He noted Woods’ history, the 2017 L5/S1 fusion that allowed him to return to play, followed by last year’s ankle fusion to ease pain. “Right now, the focus is on managing his pain so he can swing a golf club with some freedom,” Diaz added.

The medical reality is stark. After Woods had his L5/S1 fusion in 2017, the L4/L5 vertebrae above it became a ticking time bomb. “That was always going to be a problem after he had the fusion because that’s where all the tension goes now,” Diaz noted. What makes this particularly painful for fans is the timing.

This means that Woods will have to sit out the PNC Championship with his son Charlie, as well as TGL’s late-December debut. What started as a promising 2025 season has already unraveled—first a ruptured Achilles in March, now this back surgery.

Still, there’s a thread of hope. “He could have years of golf left if he can play pain-free,” Diaz said, pointing to Phil Mickelson’s PGA Championship win at 51 and the possibility of the Champions Tour. “I wouldn’t count Tiger out if he’s pain-free,” he added.

Tiger Woods’ odd-defying history

Tiger Woods’ greatest comeback came after an April 2017 spinal fusion surgery. The procedure fused his L5 and S1 vertebrae, eliminating motion at that level but providing crucial pain relief. The comeback timeline initially stretched nearly two years.

Woods returned at the 2017 Hero World Challenge in December, and steadily built momentum through 2018. He captured the Tour Championship that September for his first win in over five years. Then came April 2019.

At Augusta National, Woods delivered his masterpiece. He shot a final-round 70 to finish at 13-under par, claiming his fifth green jacket by one stroke. The victory ended an 11-year major drought and a 14-year Masters gap. Most remarkably, it marked his first major championship won while trailing after 54 holes. Woods embraced his children behind the 18th green, completing a journey many had declared impossible after his career documents show multiple failed surgeries and devastating injuries.

Golf Central’s assessment this week feels different, though. The word “ominous” hangs heavy as this marks Woods’ second back procedure in just over a year. Whether Tiger can defy the odds one more time remains golf’s most compelling question.