Tiger Woods will miss the Masters for the first time in his professional career after having surgery on his back.
Woods said on his website that he had surgery Monday in Utah for a pinched nerve that had been hurting him for several months. He withdrew during the final round of the Honda Classic and skipped his title defense at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
“I’d like to express my disappointment to the Augusta National membership, staff, volunteers and patrons that I will not be at the Masters,” Tiger said on TigerWoods.com. “It’s a week that’s very special to me. It also looks like I’ll be forced to miss several upcoming tournaments to focus on my rehabilitation and getting healthy.
“I’d also like to thank the fans for their support and concern. It’s very kind and greatly appreciated. This is frustrating, but it’s something my doctors advised me to do for my immediate and long-term health.”
While the surgery was deemed successful, he will need to rehabilitate for several weeks.
Woods says he tried to rest over the last three weeks to be ready for the Masters next week, but that he failed to make enough progress.
The world’s No. 1 player says he hopes to be able to return this summer and that he did not know how long it will take to recover.
