Tiger Woods recently suffered a ruptured left Achilles tendon while training, leading to minimally invasive surgery performed by Dr. Charlton Stucken in West Palm Beach, Florida. Woods expressed gratitude for the support he received, emphasizing his focus on recovery and rehabilitation. While the severity of the injury and recovery timeline remain unclear, other athletes with similar injuries have had varying return timelines. Woods has not competed on the PGA Tour since last summer and had previously withdrawn from events, citing mental readiness and personal challenges. He is expected to miss the upcoming Masters Tournament scheduled for April 10-13.
Tiger Woods is facing yet another significant injury setback.
On Tuesday afternoon, Woods disclosed that he recently ruptured his left Achilles tendon during training and underwent surgery earlier today. The operation, described by Woods as a “minimally invasive” procedure, was performed by Dr. Charlton Stucken at the Hospital for Special Surgery in West Palm Beach, Florida.
“As I started to increase my training and practice at home, I experienced a sharp pain in my left Achilles, which was diagnosed as ruptured,” Woods stated. “… I am now back home and will concentrate on my recovery and rehabilitation. Thank you for all the support.”
Dr. Stucken added: “The surgery was successful, and we anticipate a full recovery.”
As I started to increase my training and practice at home, I experienced a sharp pain in my left Achilles, which was diagnosed as ruptured.
This morning, Dr. Charlton Stucken of Hospital for Special Surgery in West Palm Beach, Florida performed a minimally-invasive Achilles tendon… pic.twitter.com/KAVZfcRxlE
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) March 11, 2025
Woods did not provide details on the injury’s severity or a recovery timeline, yet the term “rupture” typically indicates a complete tear of the tendon, while tears can vary in grades from 1 to 3.
Several notable athletes have experienced Achilles ruptures, including NBA legends Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant as well as NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Bryant was sidelined for eight months in 2013, while Durant took approximately 18 months to recover between 2019 and 2020. Conversely, Rodgers returned to practice just 77 days post-injury in the Jets’ 2023 season opener, but he did not compete in a game until last season.
PGA Tour Champions player Bernhard Langer, aged 66, managed to return in only three months after suffering an Achilles tear while playing pickleball last year.
Even the most optimistic forecasts indicate that Woods will miss next month’s Masters, which is scheduled for April 10-13.
From his knee to his back to his Achilles, explore the various injuries throughout Tiger Woods’ career and his multiple comebacks to competition.
Woods participated in last week’s Seminole Pro-Member event on Monday and then in his TGL team’s final match on Tuesday night. However, he did not commit to The Player, indicating last week that he had only picked up his golf clubs three times since the passing of his mother, Kultida, on February 4 – twice for TGL and once for a round with President Donald Trump.
Woods also withdrew from last month’s Genesis Invitational after initially committing, stating that he wasn’t mentally prepared to compete.
“I haven’t really engaged with it,” Woods told reporters last Tuesday. “My heart isn’t fully into practicing right now. There have been so many other responsibilities with the Tour and other commitments. Once I start feeling a bit better and more engaged, I’ll begin to look at the schedule.”
Woods hasn’t competed on the PGA Tour since last summer’s Open Championship. He underwent his sixth back surgery, a microdecompression procedure, last September.