10 days after withdrawing from The Masters, Tiger Woods had surgery on his right ankle.
“Earlier today, Tiger Woods underwent a subtalar fusion procedure to address his post-traumatic arthritis from his previous talus fracture,” read a statement posted to Tiger's official Twitter page on Wednesday afternoon. “Tiger is currently recovering and looks forward to beginning his rehabilitation.”
The statement noted that Woods' surgeon, Dr. Martin O'Malley of the HSS Sports Medicine Institute in New York City, “determined the surgery to be successful.” No recovery timetable was included in the announcement.
The subtalar joint is located below the ankle, between the talus and heel bones. A subtalar fusion is “appropriate for diseased joints that can’t be replaced,” per footcaremd.org (h/t PGATour.com). “Once a fusion heals together, it acts as one unit and can restore function and provide significant pain relief.”
Woods was forced to bow out of The Masters amid a painful third round, largely caused by plantar fasciitis in his permanently damaged right leg as a result of his 2021 car accident. The 15-time major champion was badly limping around Augusta National through brutal weather conditions when play was suspended. He withdrew with 28 holes remaining.
Tiger also withdrew from the Hero World Challenge (a tournament he hosts) last December because of plantar fasciitis.
“I’m very lucky to have this leg,” Woods said before The Masters. “It has been altered and there’s some hardware in there, but it’s still mine. It has been tough and will always be tough. The ability and endurance of what my leg will do going forward will never be the same. I understand that. … That's why I can't prepare and play as many tournaments as I like, but that's my future, and that's okay. I'm okay with that.”
Tiger has played five official events since his accident — all of which have been majors or tournaments he hosts. He's made the cut in four but has only finished two. He showed promise at the Genesis Invitational in February at Riviera by posting two rounds under 70, but the hilliness of Augusta proved too demanding.
It could be about six-to-12 weeks before Tiger can put weight on his foot, according to the Cleveland Clinic (via Dan Rapaport). Then comes the walking boot and, eventually, rehab.
The next major event will be the PGA Championship at Oak Hill, beginning on May 18. The U.S. Open at (very hilly) Los Angeles Country Club will take place on June 15, and the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool tees off on July 20.
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