Tiger Woods announced on Twitter that he recently underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, but that he still plans to play the two tournaments remaining on his schedule for 2019.
The 43-year-old Woods, who capped a remarkable comeback from four back surgeries by winning the 2018 Tour Championship and the Masters earlier this year, said the surgery was needed to “repair minor cartilage damage.”
“I expect Tiger to make a full recovery,” said Dr. Vern Cooley, who performed the surgery. “We did what was needed, and also examined the entire knee. There were no additional problems.”
Woods is scheduled to play in the inaugural ZoZo Championship in Japan on Oct. 24-27 and his own Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas on Dec. 4-7.
No. 8 in the World Golf Rakings, Woods also is captain of the United States team for the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne in Australia later in December, but did not make the team on points and is not expected to make himself a captain’s pick.
“I would like to thank Dr. Cooley and his team,” Woods said in the Twitter post. “I’m walking know and hope to resume practice in the next few weeks. I look forward to traveling and playing in Japan in October.”
Woods had surgery on his left knee twice in 2008, once early in the year and again right after he defeated Rocco Mediate in a epic 19-hole playoff in the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. The first of those was similar to the one he just had, while the second was to repair a torn ACL.
After claiming his fifth Green Jacket and 15th major title last April, the rest of Woods’ 2018-19 season was something of a letdown, as he played in only 12 officials events and often complained of back stiffness. He recorded only one top-10 finish after winning at Augusta National.
Woods was forced to withdraw because of an oblique strain after the first round of The Northern Trust, opening event of the FedEx Cup playoffs, which caused him to fall out of the top 30 in the point standings.
Needing to climb back into the top 30 to qualify for the Tour Championship, Woods could manage only a tie for 37th in the BMW Championship to wind up 42nd in the points, and did not make it back to East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta to defend his title in the finale last week.
Still, he considered the season a success.
“(It was) very special to win my 15th major and get my fifth jacket,” Woods said. “Those are special moments and to be able to have an opportunity like that, and the rest of the tournaments I didn’t really play as well as I wanted to, but at the end of the day, I’m the one with the green jacket.”
Woods’ victory in the Masters gave him 81 career titles on the PGA Tour, one behind Sam Snead’s record, and his 15 major titles are three short of Jack Nicklaus’ record.
