From his amateur career to his latest appearance at this year’s PNC Championship alongside his son, Tiger Woods has gone through thirteen surgeries in the last three decades. The veteran golfer has had surgery after surgery and even then made his comeback stronger than ever.

Rightfully, Woods once expressed his annoyance at the continued surgeries and wished to never go to the operation theatre ever again. But alas his wish was not to be!

Tiger Woods 40th birthday wish

Before turning 40 in 2015, Tiger Woods gave an exclusive interview with Times journalist Lorne Rubenstein. As the last question of the interview, Woods was asked if he could see himself crowned as the world’s top player again— he was ranked no.1 for 281 consecutive weeks.

The 82x PGA Tour champion was not reluctant in his answer and asserted that he “absolutely” believed in himself becoming the indomitable Woods he was once. But there was one condition Woods put on himself—he had to “get healthy in order to” be the best again. Although Mr.T clarified that he would never be 100% healthy and the pain would always linger around.

However, the legendary golfer was ready to “play through a little bit of pain, aches and pains,” moreover he touted that “I don’t need another surgery, period. Let’s just not go down that road ever again. No more surgeries. Seven’s enough. Four knees, three backs, that’s enough.”

Woods’s wish almost became a reality, after 2015, and he did not have any surgery in the next year. However, the relief was for a fleeting moment, as numerous surgeries knocked on Woods’s door in the following years of 2017, and 2019. Followed by the 2021 accident in February, after the near-fatal accident, the series of surgeries started again, with the latest one being in April 2023. Since then, Woods has recovered from all those surgeries and will be making his return to the PGA Tour in the coming year.

Will Tiger Woods play The Sentry? 

The inaugural event of the PGA Tour 2024 season will be The Sentry. The previous season’s top players will be duking it out at the Plantation Course at Kapalua in Hawaii. The field will have many players but sadly the golf lovers won’t see Tiger Woods gracing the Hawaiian greens.

Read More: Tiger Woods Turns 48: Exploring His Iconic Birthday Celebrations Over the Years

While making his comeback at the Hero World Challenge, Woods revealed his one-event-per-month plan for the 2024 season. He also claimed The Genesis Invitational to be his first event of 2024. Woods said, “Would have to start with maybe at Genesis and something in March, near the Players.” Tiger Woods won’t be participating in the first signature event of the new year. Which event do you think will the 82x time PGA Tour winner choose as his first foray back into action for 2024?

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