Can Tiger Woods Caddy for Son Charlie Ever Again as Stubborn Back Spasm Threatens Career End?

It is the first time in his last five starts that Tiger Woods has withdrawn from the Genesis Invitational. Woods cited catching flu after the opening round to be the cause for his withdrawal. Moreover, fans witnessed the 48-year-old golfer struggling with his back as he shanked the last hole.

With his back injury coming back as of late and hindering his golf dreams of playing well, one question looms around. Will Woods be capable enough to caddie for his son at junior championships moving forward?

The debilitating back surgeries of Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods first started complaining of his back spasms around 2014. That year, he went through spinal surgery for a pinched nerve. The next year, two microdiscectomies and one back surgery followed. In April 2017, doctors conducted a complex surgery that fused his spinal cord. It was not the last back operation he had. One month before his accident in 2021, he underwent another microdiscectomy.

It has been a tough couple of years for Woods, as many procedures hampered his professional skills. However, he didn’t stop caddying for his son. Though the return of the back spams at the Genesis Invitational seems alarming and may hold him from caddying for Charlie Woods. With an aggravating back, Woods would not be advised to carry the bag for 54 holes, but if his back pain is relieved, the Jupiter resident can become the looper.

However, if it persists, Woods can ask for the approval of motorized carts from the NB3 Tournament Committee, which manages the Notah Begay Junior Golf events. Moreover, per the PGA of America Handbook for Juniors, caddies can use carts after permission has been granted, though the golfer cannot.

Woods’s back spams had been a cause of concern for many years, but after coming off a Masters win in 2019, it was concluded that he can move his back normally, though not anymore. While the withdrawal from the Genesis Invitational had unsettled many, he had to give in to his health concerns.

Can Tiger Woods play like he used to? 

In 2017, the Spinal Fusion surgery or ALIF fused Tiger Woods’s L5 and S1 vertebrae with titanium or medical-grade plastic, which has been deemed as the last solution for chronic back pain. After the surgery, for most patients, the recovery period may take up to six months to a year, but the patient can return to normal activities in a few weeks; not golf!

Read More: Tiger Woods Injury Update: Timeline of His Illness at the Genesis Invitational Explored

Moreover, the Keystone Spine & Pain Management Center had quoted that after the surgery, it gets hard for a patient to recover fully as some pain or other will always linger, and playing at the professional level may not be deemed feasible. It seems the miracle that occurred in 2019 is catching up with the 15-time major champ. Woods might be able to play golf, but returning to his previous form may remain impossible!

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