Tiger Woods underwent surgery Wednesday to address post-traumatic arthritis in his right ankle that was caused by injuries suffered in a February 2021 car wreck.
According to a statement posted to the 15-time major champion’s Twitter account, Dr. Martin O’Malley at HSS Sports Medicine Institute in New York performed the subtalar fusion procedure to address arthritis caused by a previous talus fracture and “determined the surgery to be successful.”
“He’s resting now and will start the recovery process,” Mark Steinberg, Woods’ agent at Excel Sports, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.
The surgery took place in New York, and Steinberg said Woods has returned to his home near Jupiter, Florida, to begin rehabilitating.
As for when Woods could return to playing golf, Steinberg said there was “no timetable on this.”
“The first goal is to recover and lead a much more enjoyable day-to-day life,” he said.
The talus is the second largest of a group of bones known as the tarsus, which forms the lower part of the ankle joint and transmits the weight of the body from the lower leg to the foot. The subtalar joint allows for side-to-side movement needed for walking, especially on uneven surfaces.
According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, a talus fracture is a “break in one of the bones that forms the ankle. This type of fracture often occurs during a high-energy event, such as a car collision or a fall from a significant height. Because the talus is important for ankle movement, a fracture often results in substantial loss of motion and function.”
Earlier this month, Woods withdrew from the Masters before play resumed in a weather-delayed third round. In a statement posted to his Twitter account, Woods said he aggravated a previous plantar fasciitis injury in his right foot — the same injury that caused the five-time Masters champion to withdraw from the Hero World Challenge, an unofficial event he hosts in the Bahamas, in February.
Woods, 47, was limping badly as he played many of the first eight holes of the third round in a downpour. Woods was 6 over through his first seven completed holes of the third round. He was 9 over through 43 holes, which was worst among the 54 players who made the 36-hole cut.
It was the second time in the past year that Woods had withdrawn from a major championship because of injury. In May, he pulled out of the PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma, after posting his worst score in the event, a 9-over 79, in the third round.
Woods suffered serious injuries to his right leg, foot and ankle early in 2021 when his SUV rolled over in a wreck outside Los Angeles. According to Woods, surgeons told him they nearly had to amputate his right leg.
He returned to competitive golf last year at the Masters after a 508-day layoff. He posted consecutive scores of 6-over 78 in each of his last two rounds, his worst scores at the event.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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