Right as his inaugural TGL season concluded and he started to ramp up for Masters prep, Tiger Woods announced he ruptured his left Achilles tendon this week.
One month after the death of his mother and weeks after a crucial White House visit for negotiations with the Saudi investment fund, the injury adds another painful element to Woods’ roller-coaster year. It will likely end the 15-time major winner’s 2025 campaign before it began.
Woods underwent surgery in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Tuesday morning. Dr. Charlton Stucken said in a statement from Woods that it went smoothly, and he expects the golfer to make a full recovery.
“I am back home now and plan to focus on my recovery and rehab,” Woods said. “Thank you for all the support.”
As I began to ramp up my own training and practice at home, I felt a sharp pain in my left Achilles, which was deemed to be ruptured.
This morning, Dr. Charlton Stucken of Hospital for Special Surgery in West Palm Beach, Florida performed a minimally-invasive Achilles tendon… pic.twitter.com/KAVZfcRxlE
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) March 11, 2025
This is the 13th documented procedure for Woods since 2002, and his 12th since 2008 when he underwent two knee surgeries while winning the U.S. Open. Woods famously returned from many of his injury issues to win the 2019 Masters for what remains his last major championship. But two years later, he was in a violent car crash that resulted in his right leg and ankle being severely broken. It required emergency surgery including an inserted rod into his tibia and screws and pins into his foot and ankle.
Still, Woods was able to return for the 2022 Masters just 14 months later, and again, he made the cut. Despite more surgeries since then, Woods made the Masters cut again the next two years to extend his record cut streak to 24.
Woods played all four majors in 2024, a feat he hadn’t accomplished since 2019. But he missed the cut at the PGA Championship, U.S. Open and Open Championship. He then underwent another surgery in September to relieve back spasms, and he planned to return to the PGA Tour for the Genesis Invitational in February until he decided he wasn’t ready after his mother Kultida’s death.
When his TGL team, Jupiter Links, was eliminated on March 4, Woods was asked about his status.
“This is the third time I’ve touched a club since my mom passed, so I haven’t really gotten into it,” he said. “My heart is not really into practicing right now. I’ve had so many other things to do with the Tour and trying to do other things.”
What becomes of Woods’ future remains unclear. He has maintained he still believes he can win tournaments, and he’ll continue to play until he doesn’t feel that way. According to The Ohio State University College of Medicine, the recovery from Achilles repair can range from six to nine months, while a return to a sport might be closer to nine to 12 months in the best of outcomes.
(Photo: Michael Owens / Getty Images)
