Tiger Woods and his left leg have a long-standing history. Injury history, that is. Even before he became professional, the American golfer had encountered injury issues that have, at times, left him on one leg. The injury train started as early as 1994, when he underwent a left knee surgery to remove scar tissue and two benign tumors. While that was not a serious issue, eight years later, at the pinnacle of golf, Woods’s left leg played villain again.

This time, similar to his trophies during that era, a ‘major’ surgery took place, during which fluid and a benign cyst were removed from his left ACL. Five years later, Woods ruptured the left knee ligament and decided to have the surgery a year later in April 2008. His left ankle suffered a minor strain in April 2011, and merely a month later, His left MCL and left Achilles tendon caused concern. “The knee acted up, and then the Achilles followed after that,” Woods told reporters after the injury.

In 2019, he went through arthroscopic surgery for minor ligament issues. Phew! And that is just his left leg. But it did not get over then. Now, as he was preparing to train and get in shape for the upcoming Masters Tournament, Woods was dealt another bad hand on the injury front.

He took to Instagram to share his plight, detailing that the left Achilles, which had previously flared in 2011, has caused concern yet again. “As I began to ramp up my own training and practice at home, I felt a sharp pain in my left Achilles, which was deemed to be ruptured. I am back home now and plan to focus on my recovery and rehab. Thank you for all the support,” he wrote. The 15-time Major winner had to undergo surgery yet again, and his doctor, Stucken, stated, “The surgery went smoothly, and we expect a full recovery.”

The recovery is great news, but the persisting injury issues are concerning. However, the golfing world has shown its support to the Big Cat, including Rickie Fowler, who liked Woods’s post about his plight. Fowler is Woods’s fanboy, like most of the golf community. When the conversation about how Woods should retire sparked before The Open last year, Fowler boldly told the world, “He still has plenty of good golf in him. The game is better when we have him around.”

“I love being able to have Tiger [here],” Fowler also said at the time. “He has been trying to continue to make sure he is ready to go, playing the majors and then hopefully a few other events on top of that… I would love to see him continue to stay healthy so he can play a select group of events throughout the year.”

Not just Fowler, but fans were quick to shower Woods with their prayers and wishes.

Fans show concern and appreciation to Tiger Woods

“Praying for a fast and smooth recovery! Your comeback is going to make your next win even more legendary and inspiring.” Another Instagram user also called for Woods’s fighting mentality to help him deal with the current setback he has faced. “Tiger, you are as strong as hell for grinding through these things. Speedy recovery; hope to see you play again one day.”

If Tiger Woods tees up at the Masters, it will be his 27th appearance. The 82-time PGA Tour winner has won the iconic event at the Augusta National five times, and it is the major he won the most in his career. It was also the first major he won and the last major he won as well. Oh wait! Last major he has won so far. At least one fan thinks that he is a shoo-in for one more, expressing hope and stating, “Don’t care. Still betting on you to win The Masters.”

Another netizen went another route, stating that now that Woods is in injury territory, that leaves the field open for other players to take a shot at the title. One fan stated that with Woods’s absence, he will take Scottie Scheffler, who is the defending champion at Georgia. “Fine, I guess I’ll take Scottie at Augusta now.”

Another fan poked fun at the sheer number of surgeries and medical procedures Tiger had to undergo even before his professional career started. The injury list earlier was just his left leg. He has also encountered several issues with his back, mostly bulging discs, which culminated in another surgery in late 2024. This is after he went through five microdiscectomy surgeries between April 2015 and January 2021. According to one fan, the only thing comparable to his surgery history is his PGA Tour record. “PGA Tour wins 82 surgeries 83,” added the fan, albeit with some hyperbole, but mostly with a bit of concern about the fact that Woods has a long injury history.

The love is still there for the golf superstar, as many fans were expecting to see him tee off at the Augusta National. Do you think the Big Cat will recover in time for the upcoming Masters, a major that is close to his heart? Here’s to your speedy recovery, Tiger Woods!