The toughest wars are the ones a person has to fight with their bodies. Which golfer knows it better than Tiger Woods? He has been a victim of back-to-back physical ailments throughout the past decade, more so after his near-fatal accident in 2021. Just as the golf sensation thought that there was an end to his years of internal strife, his problematic back issues seem to have resurfaced.

Sadly enough, the timing for this painful resurgence coincided with his season-opening comeback at the 2024 Genesis Invitational, which led to him experiencing the dreadful “shank” in the first round at Riviera. So was it all for nothing? Did Tiger Woods’s time, patience, and lots of money all go in vain?

Tiger Woods’s back spasm causing problems

Tiger Woods’s struggles with his back started long ago, roughly around 2015. Ever since the golf world star has undergone a total of five extremely painful surgeries to recuperate from the wrath of his ailments. Notably, these surgeries have cost him somewhere around $322,000 (approximately) so far. It is a hefty sum of money considering that it is almost five times the average median American household’s annual income.

But money is not a problem for the billionaire Tiger Woods. After all, he is one of the richest golfers the game has ever seen. But after spending almost $322,000 (excluding the heavy sum that would have been spent on post-surgical processes, rehabilitation, and medications), it is natural for one to expect that this large chunk of money out of their net worth would fetch them their desired results. Sadly, that does not seem to be the case for the 82-time PGA Tour winner.

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Even after spending such a hefty amount, it seems that the PGAT sensation’s condition has not improved and is continuing to impact his career, as is apparent in a performance he predicted would be “rusty” in Los Angeles. Coupled with problems in his ankle, the back spasms seem to have resurfaced and continue to trouble the golf world’s Hall of Famer’s game.

Talking about the back issues he faced on Day 1 at Riviera that led to the shank, the seemingly disheartened Tiger Woods said, “Well, my back was spasming the last couple of holes and it was locking up. I came down and it didn’t move and I … shanked it.”

If this persists further, it could lead to a further loss of millions of dollars in potential wins that the star could’ve accrued had this not been the case. Even if we are to exclude the money aspect, for once, the physical and mental aspects of this prolonged painful condition and its associated side effects seem to be a heavy burden in themselves on Mr. Woods (and his career).

But what were these surgeries that could easily leave a hole in anyone’s pockets?

Which surgeries has Tiger Woods undergone so far?

The 5-time Masters winner has had three prior lumbar discectomies, all done from a posterior approach. These were followed by a fourth surgery in 2017, which was an anterior lumbar interbody fusion surgery for his spine. This cost him around $68,126.

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These surgeries helped him make his roaring comeback at the 2019 Masters, where he emerged victorious. So much so that his recovery was termed “like winning the lottery” by a spine surgeon at Dartmouth.

However, circumstances so changed that the sensation had to undergo a fifth and final surgery back in 2021. This was a microdiscectomy to remove a pressurized disc fragment from his spine. After spending such a huge sum of money, it is only natural for the star to feel disheartened after his back issues unexpectedly took over his comeback.

So, was it all for nothing? The coming rounds at the 2024 Genesis Invitational might answer this question.

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