Tiger Woods withdraws from 2023 Masters for surgery

“Walking is the most difficult part,” said Tiger Woods, the “Golf Emperor” of the United States, complaining pain while participating in the Masters Tournament, the first major tournament of the PGA this season, which ended on April 10. The pain was attributable to the right leg injury that he sustained in a traffic accident in February 2021. In fact, Woods was seen limping noticeably throughout the Master tournament. He barely made the cut but had to withdraw after completing the seventh hole of the third round owing to abiding pain.

Eventually, Woods underwent surgery. On Thursday, Woods announced on social media that he had undergone surgery to treat inflammation after trauma to the outer bones of his right ankle. Local media outlets predict that recovery will take 10 to 12 weeks following the surgery, which involves connecting two bones.

In the traffic accident in 2021, Woods suffered significant injuries to his right femur and ankle. After rehab, he participated in the Master tournament last year, finishing 47th after four rounds but has since struggled to complete the entire schedule of tournaments he has entered. He also withdrew from the PGA Championship, a major tournament, last year. This year, he has only entered two tournaments. He successfully completed the Genesis Invitational, hosted by his own foundation, in February, but withdrew from the Masters once again.

Local media outlets reported that it is uncertain when Woods will be able to participate in tournaments again. “The current top priority is to recover to be able to carry out daily life,” said Mark Steinberg, Woods’ agent, and representative of Excel Sports.


Heon-Jae Lee uni@donga.com