BREAKING: Tiger Woods Undergoes Successful Ankle Surgery

Tiger Woods underwent a successful ankle surgery, known as a subtalar fusion, earlier today, less than two weeks after his plantar fasciitis forced him to withdraw from the Masters.

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“Earlier today, Tiger underwent a subtalar fusion procedure to address his post-traumatic arthritis from his previous talus fracture,” a statement from his team said. “It was performed by Dr. Martin O’Malley at HSS Sports Medicine Institute in New York City. He has determined the surgery to be successful.”

The subtalar joint is located below the ankle join and in between the talus and heel bones. A fusion surgery, like the one Tiger underwent earlier today, locks bones together and is “appropriate for diseased joints that can’t be replaced,” according to footcaremd.com.

It is performed to correct rigid, painful deformities or even instability of the subtalar joint, and can also be used to remove arthritis.

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It was evident during Tiger’s Saturday round at the Masters, which included finishing the final holes of his second round to make the cut, and the subsequent third round, that he was in serious pain.

🚨🐅 A rough scene for 5x Masters Champion Tiger Woods. This after making his 23rd consecutive cut. #TheMasters

pic.twitter.com/XmNyIyajny

— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) April 8, 2023

Woods made a statement on Sunday before the final round that he would pull out of the event.

“I am disappointed to have to WD this morning due to reaggravating my plantar fasciitis,” Woods said before he was set to tee of on Sunday morning. “Thank you to the fans and to TheMasters who have shown me so much love and support. Good luck to the players today!”

Unfortunately, Woods will likely miss the PGA Championship this year, as a subtalar fusion surgery sidelines most for 10 to 12 weeks. Woods, who has said in the past that he will likely only play the Majors and a few other handpicked tournaments, has dealt with injuries for many years. However, his health has severely declined over the past few seasons after a car accident in 2021 at the Genesis Invitational nearly took his life.

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Woods could be back in time for the U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club in June, but even still, it may be unlikely that the Big Cat will make it back in time.

More likely than not, we could see Woods back in time for the British Open, but don’t be surprised if this surgery sidelines him for the remainder of the year.