Apr 20, 2017 6 min read

One day after saying his back was progressing, Tiger Woods had a fourth back surgery to alleviate pain and will go through another year without playing a major.

The surgery was Wednesday at the Texas Back Institute.

Woods was in Missouri Tuesday to announce plans to design a public golf course at Big Cedar Lodge, and he even tried hitting a few shots to a par 3. The first one rattled around in the rocks, and the second shot was about 10 feet from the flag.

Asked about his health during the ceremony, Woods said he had good days and bad days. And then he flew to Dallas for fusion surgery to create space in his lower back.

The announcement on his website Thursday said typical recovery from a single-level fusion surgery is six months.

“The surgery went well, and I’m optimistic this will relieve my back spasms and pain,” Woods said. “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.”

The 41-year-old Woods first had back surgery – a microdiscectomy – a week before the 2014 Masters, and he tried to return in three months. He sat out three months at the end of 2014 to let his body fully heal.

But after a 2015 season in which he missed the cut in three majors, he had back surgery in September and another one in October.

He went 15 months without competition before returning in December at his Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, where Woods made 24 birdies in 72 holes and swung freely.

But then he missed the cut at Torrey Pines in January, and he withdrew from the Dubai Desert Classic on Feb. 3 after opening with a 77, citing back spasms.

And now he’s gone through a fourth surgery.

“You see him in the Bahamas, and he looked pretty good,” said Mark Steinberg, his agent at Excel Sports Management. “And then you see him in Dubai. It can happen any time. You heard him say two days ago, ‘I have good days and bad days.’ This surgery, we hope, eliminates the bad days.”

Questions about the 14-time major champion have shifted from if he will win another major to if he will play another major.

The statement on his website said Woods’ bottom disc in his lower back has severely narrowed, causing sciatica and severe pain in his back and legs. Woods opted for a fourth surgery when more conservative therapy, such as rest and injections, failed to solve anything.

“He had consulted with a number of top people that had recommended this was the way to go if he wanted a clear and final path,” Steinberg said. “Everything he had done in the past was a temporary fix, so to speak. At that point, they thought there were other alternatives than fusion.”

Steinberg said they were advised fusion surgery was the best option if Woods wanted an active lifestyle and was willing to sit out the rest of the season.

“He should be better than he’s been in the past five years,” Steinberg said. “He’s pretty encouraged.”

The surgery was described as “anterior lumbar interbody fusion” at the L-5 and S-1 of his spine. It was performed by Richard Guyer of the institute’s Center for Disc Replacement, and involved removing the damaged disc and lifting the collapsed disc space to normal levels.

“After he recovers from surgery, he will gradually begin his rehabilitation until he is completely healed,” Guyer said on the website. “Once that’s accomplished, his workouts will be geared to allowing him to return to competitive golf.”

Guyer said the bottom of the spine is the best place for single-level fusion to occur.

Woods’ first surgery in 2014 was in Park City, Utah, by neurosurgeon Charles Rich, who also did the second operation. This is the first time Woods has gone to the Texas Back Institute.

Woods was to begin therapy and treatment after several weeks of rest.

He won his 79th PGA Tour event in August 2013 at the Bridgestone Invitational. Three weeks later, he was in contention late in the final round at the Barclays when he dropped to his knees after experiencing what he described as back spasms.

Grace leads Valero: Branden Grace holds a one-shot lead after an opening 6-under 66 in Thursday’s opening round of the Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio.

In his first 10 starts this season, Branden Grace has yet to finish inside the top 10. In his last 21 starts worldwide, he has just one top-10 finish. Those aren’t the kind of results he expects – or that golf fans expect from a player ranked among the world’s best.

But maybe the South African is turning the corner. He tied for 27th at the Masters two weeks – and was just happy to make the cut on the number. Last week, he tied for 11th in his title defense at the RBC Heritage. And on Friday, he produced seven birdies to take the lead. In a season of frustration, he’s finally trending up.

“It started at Augusta,” said Grace, who entered this week 21st in the world. “Making the cut was big for me and progressed nicely over the weekend. Obviously last week defending is pretty special and you get the positive vibes and the memories.”

Locally, Steve Wheatcroft shot a two-under-par 70 and sits tied for 33rd place.

Watson leads in Japan: Bubba Watson fired a 6-under 66 in the first round to take a one-stroke lead at the weather-delayed Shenzhen International.

Starting on the 10th hole, Watson bogeyed the 12th but bounced back with birdies on Nos. 13, 14 and 16 to turn in 34. A birdie at the first hole was then followed by an approach shot to eight feet on the par-5 second, setting up an eagle that sent Watson to the top of the leaderboard.