Posted April 21, 2017 07:42:07

Photo: Tiger Woods will sit out of competitive golf for another six months following back surgery. (AP: Lynne Sladky, File)

Tiger Woods has undergone further surgery to help alleviate pain in his back and leg, and he could be away from competitive golf for another six months.

Woods, who has not played a tournament since pulling out of a European Tour event in February because of back spasms, has now undergone surgery on his ailing back four times since early 2014.

"The surgery went well, and I'm optimistic this will relieve my back spasms and pain," the former world number one said in a statement.

"When healed, I look forward to getting back to a normal life, playing with my kids, competing in professional golf and living without the pain I have been battling so long."

Woods, a 14-times major winner, will rest for several weeks before beginning therapy and treatment and, while each procedure and case is unique, patients typically return to full activity in about six months.

The 41-year-old's bottom lower-back disc has severely narrowed because of previous herniation-related conditions and three operations, causing sciatica and severe back and leg pain.

Conservative therapy, which included rehabilitation, medication, limiting activity and injections, had failed as a permanent solution, and Woods opted to have surgery.

His latest operation was described as "minimally invasive" and entailed removing the damaged disc and re-elevating the collapsed disc space to normal levels.

Woods returned to the US PGA Tour in January after a 17-month absence following back surgery. He missed the cut in La Jolla and shot an opening-round 77 a week later in Dubai before withdrawing.

Reuters

Topics: golf, sport, united-states