Reporter comments on Tiger Woods' injury after 15x Major winner appears with son Charlie at PNC Championship

Legendary golfer Tiger Woods is currently in action at the PNC Championship in Orlando, Florida. He is paired up with his son and upcoming player, Charlie Woods.

Tiger was out for the majority of the season this year due to a back surgery. However, golf journalist Adam Schupak observed that he did not use a cart to travel between holes on Friday. In the first round at least, Schupak said he walked all the way. This is a notable injury update for golf fans who have been waiting to see Woods in competition.

Schupak wrote on X:

"Tiger is walking so far. He can use a cart. Opting not to. Flat course, better to keep the back loose. Feels like a good sign that the back and legs can handle 54 holes."

Tiger Woods and Charlie will tee off with Justin Leonard and his son, Luke, at 10:44 am ET.

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More about Tiger Woods' back injury

Tiger Woods (Source: Getty)

Tiger Woods underwent a back surgery in September this year, his sixth operation on his back in his career.

It was a microdecompression surgery performed on his lumbar spine to relieve him from nerve impingement in his lower back. It was conducted at the Hospital for Special Surgery in West Palm Beach, Florida. Woods announced that the surgery was successful on social media. The statement read:

"The surgery went smoothly, and I’m hopeful this will help alleviate the back spasms and pain I was experiencing throughout most of the 2024 season. I look forward to tackling this rehab and preparing myself to get back to normal life activities, including golf."

Nothing concrete about his return to the greens was announced at the time. Although his last competitive appearance was at the Open Championship in July, he was expected to play in the self-hosted Hero World Challenge and the PNC Championship, with both tournaments taking place in December. However, he withdrew from the former owing to his back issues.

The 15-time Major champion underwent his first back surgery almost a decade ago in 2014. He was suffering from back spasms and was operated on for a pinched nerve. The surgery and the subsequent recovery forced him to miss the Masters for the first time in his professional career.

Over the years, his back has been his Achilles heel, with the 48-year-old stating at the PGA Championship this year:

"I'm always going to feel soreness and stiffness in my back," he said via the PGA Tour.

His 2021 car accident didn't help. In fact, it became one of the primary reasons for seldom appearances at tournaments in the next few years. Woods sustained multiple injuries, including a serious leg injury. The latter was so severe that the doctors even considered amputation. He has made only ten official starts on the PGA Tour since the horrific incident.

The ace golfer will have a packed schedule in the 2025 season, with his and Rory McIlroy's ambitious TGL finally taking off next year. Woods being able to walk long distances at the PNC Championship looks like a good sign for his health.