Tiger back under knife
TIGER WOODS is unlikely to play in any of the year’s three remaining majors after undergoing surgery to alleviate back pain for a fourth time. The grim injury update was released by Woods on his website last night and raises further questions about the capacity of the 14-time major champion to return to the peak of his powers. Woods, who will turns 42 in December, last won a major in 2008. He hasn’t played since early February when he withdrew from the Dubai Desert Classic after an opening 77, citing back spasms. He withdrew from the Masters the Friday before the event and no date has been set for his return to competitive golf. Woods didn’t reveal when this latest surgery on his back and leg took place, but the news comes two days after he hit just two balls in Missouri, where he is designing a course, and insisted he was ‘progressing’. In his statement, Woods stressed he intended to be competing ‘in professional golf ’ again. ‘The surgery went well, and I’m optimistic this will relieve my back spasms and pain,’ said Woods. The latest procedure entailed removing the damaged disc from Woods’ back to allow one of his lower vertebrae fuse to another with the goal of relieving the pressure on the nerve. The normal full recovery time is six months, so even if it was a complete success, the prospects of Woods teeing up in the final major of the year, the USPGA Championship, from August 10 to 13, are extremely slim. Woods first had back surgery in April 2014 but his injury problems have recurred while his form has fallen away. After tying 17th at the Masters in 2015, Woods missed the remaining three cuts in the majors that year. Since then, he hasn’t played in any major while his world ranking has plunged to 788th. Right now, his prospects of overhauling Jack Nicklaus’ record mark of 18 majors appear remote. Meanwhile, Graeme McDowell took route 66 for a fast start to the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio yesterday. The 2010 US Open champion carded seven birdies and two bogeys to trail the early clubhouse leader Branden Grace by two shots. Séamus Power was four over par through 11 holes before picking up four birdies, including three in his final four holes for a 72. In China’s Shenzhen International, Paul Dunne carded a two-under-par 70 to trail Bubba Watson by four shots.