While the Masters provided some of the best golfing action, the Major marked a sad ending for Tiger Woods and his fans. The 15-time Major winner had no option but to withdraw from the event after suffering more pain due to Plantar Fasciitis. While Woods has provided some hope for his fans after undergoing surgery recently, former PGA Tour pro turned surgeon has some bad news for the Tiger stans.
Though Tiger Woods has 82 wins in a nearly three-decade-long career, he has also endured a load of injuries. While he suffered most damages to his body on the course, it was Woods’ car accident in February 2021 which has left him internally injured even after two years.
Dr. Bill Mallon, a former PGA Tour star who is currently an Orthopedic Surgeon, recently talked about Tiger’s ankle surgery on the Bunkered Podcast.
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While the surgery was declared to be successful, Mallon provides the golf world with a piece of unpleasant news about the Hall of Famer.
Tiger Woods’ future in golf is in jeopardy
Since his life-threatening accident in 2021, Woods has had a limp while he walks, which was visible while he competed at Augusta National earlier this month. However, the pain reached its worst state when he withdrew from the 2023 Masters hours after making the cut. After undergoing successful surgery, Tiger is expected to have most of his ankle pain relieved.
“I would expect the Tiger’s pain from that joint will be much decreased or his situation improved”, said Dr. Mallon on the Bunkered Podcast. However, he then indicated a bigger and longer problem for the 15-time Major winner. The doctor said, “He (Woods) had multiple other fractures in the foot apparently. And he probably has some arthritis at other ports, parts of the foot”.
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Dr. Bill Mallon also added how Tiger Woods, who underwent a Subtalar Fusion procedure last week, though may have a temporary solution, will soon find pain from ‘Arthritis’ and in ‘other sections of the foot and ankle’. Moreover, he shared another bizarre illustration that could further ruin Tiger’s state by adding, “Whenever you do a fusion, you lose motion at that joint pulley because it’s viewed that won’t move”.
The bad motion of joints will lead to Arthritis in adjacent joints as well, according to the former PGA Tour pro since a person puts pressure on it while walking. “That’s very common with people who have a back fusion, where they fuse two levels of the back together”, added Dr. Bill Mallon. He ended by labeling the whole process as a ‘vicious cycle’ where to fix one problem, a person may end up creating another one.
Though the Orthopaedic surgeon provided some insights about Woods’ surgery, it already sounds alarming to many of his fans. While he is still recovering from his recent surgery, it is almost evident that Woods won’t be competing at next month’s PGA Championship. As the fans are eager to watch the 15-time Major winner back on the golf course, let’s take a look at when is Tiger expected to return.
Will Woods ever return to professional golf?
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Throughout his 27 years on the professional circuit, Woods has undergone an end number of surgeries. While Dr. Bill Mallon scared many fans by providing details about Tiger’s recent Subtalar Fusion procedure, he did end on a positive note. He suggested that the 15-time Major winner won’t be competing for the next six months but may be fit enough for next year’s Majors.
Dr. Mallon said, “His tournaments for 2023 are likely over, and I would not be surprised to not see him play again until Augusta 2024”. While it is sad to not watch any of Tiger Woods’ mastery for the next few months, fans have already barely watched him compete for the past few years. Regardless, the fitness and health of the 47-year-old should be the top priority.
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Until then, the golf world will enjoy the talents of the current generation. What do you think of Tiger’s injury? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
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