Tiger Woods out of Masters Following Surgery for Pinched Nerve

[Cracker24]

Regardless of how he recovers and how his body handles the rest of the season, I think this surgery could/should be a major turning point for Tiger in terms of the events he chooses to play in.

He already has a pretty light schedule, but I definitely wouldn't blame him if he went to more of a Steve Stricker type schedule, where he pretty much only plays in the majors. Add on to this maybe one gear up event before The Masters for a little taste of competitive golf, his own event at Congressional (I'm guessing he's obligated to play in this if healthy?) and either the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup if selected.

I'm guessing he wants to surpass Snead's record before going to something like this, but if he wants to keep playing for another 10 or so years, I can't see how he does it while still working the schedule he has now. As much as Tiger loves golf, I don't think he's the kind of person who could handle spending his last thirty-odd years in a wheelchair.

[tmac20]

Two reasons I disagree:

This article states you can resume your sex life after two weeks. Pretty sure a golf swing can be handled.

Also according to the article, recovery time is twelve weeks; roughly 3 months, for a normal human. Tiger is not a normal human, and has access to healthcare that is much better than a normal human. It is also not out of the realm of possibility that Tiger would push himself on a more aggressive schedule.

My take? He'll be back and ready either right before the US Open or just after.

Source?

ESPN says 4 1/2 months , a doctor on the Golf Channel says 3-4 months before he can even come close to swinging a driver. He'll need time to practice after that; he's not going to play in the PGA if he feels like he can't compete. So 5 months is my "bold" prediction. Bold is the key word here. I would be really shocked if he plays in the US Open.

[bplewis24]

Well, I'm neither a Tiger lover, nor a Tiger hater. He's a mixed bag as far as feelings go. But I think karma hit him in the face, or more specifically karma disguised as a fire hydrant.

Well now, that's different...and probably a lot more related to the subject of karma

[ChrisP]

I was cleared to swing a golf club 6 weeks after my microdisc surgery and I was obviously not rushed back.  This isn't a fusion or disc replacement.  A standard micro disc surgery is not a big deal.  He will be walking around today.  My guess is he is back by the US Open.

I've heard mixed reports on it. Most I've heard is it's going to be a lot longer than 6 weeks. When he says "several tournaments" after the Masters, I'm thinking the US Open is a longshot.

This should have been taken care of earlier. He said it was the same amount of pain he felt the Fed Ex Cup playoffs last year, and if surgery needed to be done, it should have been done then. My personal opinion is Tiger just thought it was back spasms back in the fall and didn't take it as serious, and when it kept re-occurring this year, he realized something was wrong.

[joekelly]

Pretty much guarantee that Tiger will be seeking the nearest, and best, yoga guru to facilitate his lifelong rehab needs.

[MS256]

I have a feeling he is going to try to change his swing before playing again. If my feeling is correct all (of my) bets are off about how well it may, or may not, work out for him or how long it may take.

[albatross]

So right now, knowing everything that we actually know, what percentage would you put on Tiger Woods winning another Major Championship?  I'm going to say 25%.  How about you?

[jbishop15]

I've heard mixed reports on it. Most I've heard is it's going to be a lot longer than 6 weeks. When he says "several tournaments" after the Masters, I'm thinking the US Open is a longshot.

This should have been taken care of earlier. He said it was the same amount of pain he felt the Fed Ex Cup playoffs last year, and if surgery needed to be done, it should have been done then. My personal opinion is Tiger just thought it was back spasms back in the fall and didn't take it as serious, and when it kept re-occurring this year, he realized something was wrong.

I think it was more that he probably tried to fix it with rest and relaxation (which would explain why he was so rusty at the beginning of this year) and it just never healed.

I think he'll be back before the US Open.

So right now, knowing everything that we actually know, what percentage would you put on Tiger Woods winning another Major Championship?  I'm going to say 25%.  How about you?

I still think 100%. Tiger'll win at least one more.

I have a feeling he is going to try to change his swing before playing again. If my feeling is correct all (of my) bets are off about how well it may, or may not, work out for him or how long it may take.

No reason to change his swing. It's not the problem. No swing he has is going to take any more pressure off his body than this one.

[MS256]

No reason to change his swing. It's not the problem. No swing he has is going to take any more pressure off his body than this one.

Could be, but that's not my opinion.

Thing is that neither your opinion or mine counts. The only on that counts is whether Tiger thinks he should do something with less torque on his back.

[tmac20]

Could be, but that's not my opinion.

[URL=http://www.golfchannel.com/news/golf-central/haney-woods-will-need-adjust-swing-post-surgery/]Hank Haney said Woods will need to make adjustments to his swing following the recovery.[/URL] So your opinion seems to be correct.

[Crim]

[SteveBamford]

Who is to say that TW won't make a full recovery from this surgery? In terms of Augusta next week I'd rather see Tiger not playing, than actually making the effort and plating injured.  As I have said on here before this nerve problem has been on-going for a period of time and naturally he will be receiving the most specialised treatment from the most eminent surgeon in this field.

[9iron]

Personally, yes. I don't like the swing changes he made and I think his new swing puts more pressure on his back.

Good, then I am not the only one who thinks this way.

[atb5079]

Ugh. An already subpar PGA tour season with boring players winning with 76s on Sunday and now TW doesnt play at Augusta. I'm gonna cry.

[9iron]

The surgery to fix these things is quite routine, so while Tiger certainly would have a good surgeon doing it I think a few people are going overboard with what was required. Lower Lumbar micro discectomy is the most common of all neuro surgeries now with over 300,000 of them occurring each year in the USA. Every big city in America has lots of great surgeons who can do the operation skillfully. Very few of the procedures have complications, so the issue isn't really the skill level of the surgeon.

The issues are 1) the root cause of the herniation 2) the fact the site is now compromised. I think we are all guessing to an extent as to what exactly caused the injury. It could be any of a number of things in concert with one another. Whatever it is, Tiger has to figure it out. Because the site is compromised, he needs to make sure to strengthen all the surrounding back and abdominal muscles while at the same time maintaining flexibility. Whomever recommended yoga is on the right track, imho. I had this surgery 20 years ago and nothing has helped me more than doing yoga. I still lift weights, but I put zero premium on how much weight I am lifting. I'm not trying at all to get bigger. I just want to "maintain" strength. Equally important, I have found, is to maintain flexibility. This allows me to make the required movements in the golf swing without forcing anything.

[Phil McGleno]

And you two are basing this on your detailed knowledge of the golf swing?-Dont just say "I dont like it" tell us why. Details-We want details.[quote name="9iron" url="/t/73617/tiger-woods-out-of-masters-following-surgery-for-pinched-nerve/90#post_970852"] Good, then I am not the only one who thinks this way. [/quote]

[bplewis24]

Since we are all making predictions, I predict Tiger Woods reverses his stance on the anchored putting stroke ban.

[Valleygolfer]

The surgery to fix these things is quite routine, so while Tiger certainly would have a good surgeon doing it I think a few people are going overboard with what was required. Lower Lumbar micro discectomy is the most common of all neuro surgeries now with over 300,000 of them occurring each year in the USA. Every big city in America has lots of great surgeons who can do the operation skillfully. Very few of the procedures have complications, so the issue isn't really the skill level of the surgeon.

The issues are 1) the root cause of the herniation 2) the fact the site is now compromised. I think we are all guessing to an extent as to what exactly caused the injury. It could be any of a number of things in concert with one another. Whatever it is, Tiger has to figure it out. Because the site is compromised, he needs to make sure to strengthen all the surrounding back and abdominal muscles while at the same time maintaining flexibility. Whomever recommended yoga is on the right track, imho. I had this surgery 20 years ago and nothing has helped me more than doing yoga. I still lift weights, but I put zero premium on how much weight I am lifting. I'm not trying at all to get bigger. I just want to "maintain" strength. Equally important, I have found, is to maintain flexibility. This allows me to make the required movements in the golf swing without forcing anything.

Spot on. If Tiger is still incorporating squats, overhead lifting or dead lifts in his routine which I had heard he was big into the power training in that manner. Although touted the "best" all around training exercise, squats are horrible for the lumbar spine and the often done in poor form. I have to say that anything creating excessive interstitial pressure must be avoided from here on out.