What happened when Tiger Woods came back from serious injury three previous times during his career

Add as preferred source on Google

Tiger Woods is out for the foreseeable future after he announced that he recently underwent his seventh back surgery.

The greatest player of all time, Woods, was predicted to be back in action near the start of 2026, but that is now doubtful. This news comes after Woods missed much of 2025 due to an Achilles injury. 

The news of the surgery rocked the golfing world. Phil Mickelson sent Woods his best wishes in the hope that he can return to competitive action in 2026 or beyond.

If Woods were able to come back from injury, it wouldn’t be the first time. He’s made a career out of overcoming his body and winning against all odds, especially over the last decade and a half.

Here are three times Woods brilliantly battled back from injury in his career.

Six PGA Tour victories in 2009 after torn ACL

Woods’ 2008 US Open victory was one of the most iconic wins of his career. Competing with a double stress fracture in his left tibia and a torn ACL, Woods defied immense physical pain to claim his 14th major title. Afterwards, he described it as “my greatest ever championship”.

Following his US Open win, Woods underwent surgery and missed the rest of the 2008 season. He returned to action in 2009, and immediately reaffirmed himself as the world’s best golfer.

Woods won six times in 2009, with his victories including the Memorial Tournament and the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He clinched the 2009 FedEx Cup, was named PGA Tour Player of the Year, and topped the PGA Tour money list that season.

While he didn’t win a major championship, Woods impressively recovered from injury and was immediately back to his brilliant best on the PGA Tour.

Winning the 2018 Tour Championship after spinal fusion surgery

Woods had spinal fusion surgery in 2017. It was his fourth back surgery, and it meant he was away from the sport for over a year.

In 2018, Woods was winless for five years and hadn’t won a major in a decade. Many wondered whether they would ever see him win again.

But in the final event of the PGA Tour season, Woods won the 2018 Tour Championship. He fought back tears as he walked down the 18th fairway with an ocean of adoring fans trailing in his wake.

Dressed in his traditional “Tiger Red”, he won on the final day by two shots. But little did he know that the victory would set up an even greater accomplishment the following season.

The comeback was well and truly completed when Woods won the 2019 Masters, his 15th major. The victory was hailed as one of the greatest comebacks in sports history.

Woods had re-established himself as a force in the sport when most assumed his winning days were over. 

Playing in the 2022 Masters after car crash

While it didn’t result in a victory, Woods’ 2022 Masters comeback was one of the greatest displays of heart and mental strength that any sport has ever seen.

After a car crash in 2021, doctors initially feared amputation of Woods’ leg. Instead, he spent over a year in recovery and rehabilitation, and headed to Augusta National to play in the Masters. 

He walked 72 holes, with pain etched over his face. And through sheer grit, Woods made the cut and finished 47th overall.

Woods went on to play other events throughout the year, including the 2022 Open Championship at St. Andrews.

There was no 2019 fairytale for Woods that year, but he showed just how much he is willing to go through in order to get back out on the course in competitive action.