It has been a year and three months since fans last saw Tiger Woods compete in a singles event. He has not participated in either of the majors or Signature tournaments in 2025. The big cat had surgery on his Achilles Tendon back in March 2025, with a recovery timeline of around six to nine months. Recent visuals of him driving off the tee for one of his events started rumors that he was soon going to make a return. Unfortunately, Woods later revealed that it wasn’t the case.

In a shocking tweet, the 82-time PGA Tour champion confessed that he had just had surgery on his lower back by Dr. Sheeraz Qureshi. After suffering through a lot of pain, scans revealed that he had a collapsed disc at the L4/5 level and needed a lumbar disc replacement surgery. Woods has always had issues with his lower back. This was the 7th procedure he had undergone. Every time it happens again, it further raises concerns about whether he will ever return to golf.

Woods’ potential return raises an important question: how long will it take him to recover from the surgery? Recovery from a lumbar disc replacement depends largely on the patient’s rehabilitation and care. It is not simply a matter of undergoing the procedure and resting. Woods will need to gradually increase his activity, rebuild strength in his back, and follow a structured recovery plan before he can return to full fitness.

Since the surgery doesn’t require the bone or any muscles to heal, patients can start moving and walking immediately. In fact, this can be done even the day after they get the procedure. However, they still need to control their movement and ensure they don’t stress their muscles. Over a few weeks, Woods should be able to feel like himself and enjoy his life normally. Notably, the glaring exception would be being able to play golf. During this period, he will also have to attend physical therapy sessions to understand his new body better. Of course, there are a lot of risks involved post-surgery as well.

The artificial disk can get infected, it can get dislocated, or dislodged. The implant can be fractured or loosened, or the spine can get narrow because of damage to the spinal bones. Alternatively, Woods can also experience other problems due to a badly positioned implant, a stiff spine, or injury to nearby nerves. It’s hard to imagine him getting blood clots in his legs due to inactivity, but that too is one of the risks. Overall, he will have to be very cautious of the situation, even while in recovery.

Once the 15-time major winner is done with this phase, the average time an individual takes to recover from a lumbar disc replacement surgery is about three months. If everything goes well and there are no signs of issues in the procedure, Woods should be at his fittest by sometime around February 2026. That should give him enough time to prepare for his contest with Rory McIlroy in their highly anticipated matchup for the second season of TGL.

Former PGA Tour Colleague thinks the comeback is nearly impossible

Injury, surgery, recovery; none of it is predictable. And when it comes to Tiger Woods, few understand that uncertainty better than those who’ve lived through it themselves. One of them, former PGA TOUR winner Will MacKenzie, believes fans would be extremely lucky to see Tiger compete again.

“I’ve had a lot of surgery in my day myself, and that does not sound good for Tiger,” MacKenzie said on SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio. A six-time international winner with two PGA TOUR titles, MacKenzie has since shifted careers, now looping for players like Chris Kirk. Having fought his own neck and back injuries, he knows the grind. “We all want Tiger to come out on the other side stronger, healthier, and play again. But man, this is just one tacked onto another of bad injuries, and I’m worried about it. He’s going to be in this cocoon for a while, working to get back where he’s walking again,” before adding. “We’re just hoping.”

Hope isn’t exactly what Tiger’s fans want to hear—but for now, it’s all they’ve got. Until he gives an update, it’s recovery and rehab time. Woods may be sidelined, but there’s still a belief his next appearance, maybe in his league, could come sooner than expected.

Tiger Woods eyes return despite back surgery

Woods had already hinted that he might have some health issues even before he had his back surgery. But not many had caught on to it early enough. Despite showing glimpses of his drive a few weeks ago, the big cat had omitted himself from the field of the 2025 Hero World Challenge. This came as a huge surprise, considering many were hoping that he would finally make his return by then. After hearing about his latest surgery, the sentiment surrounding his comeback has certainly changed, as one of the golf fans even asked him to call it quits.

But Woods is in no mood to retire just yet. He might switch to the Champions Tour, but the 49-year-old has made it evident that he still wants to continue playing the majors and try to win more of them. He might also play the Genesis Invitational if he’s fit enough to join the field. But the recovery period does put the 2025 PNC Championship out of the equation. That is, unless Woods somehow manages to make a quick recovery within the next two months and get ready to team up with Charlie Woods.