Tiger Woods' professional golf future has been thrown into further doubt after the 15-time major champion announced he has undergone another surgery on his lower right leg.
Woods, who severely injured his right leg in a car accident in February 2021, withdrew from the third round of the Masters earlier this month after visibly struggling to walk the course.
A post on the former world No 1's official Twitter account said he underwent a "subtalar fusion procedure to address his post-traumatic arthritis from his previous talus fracture".
The subtalar joint is located just below the ankle joint, and a fusion can relieve pain.
No timetable was given for Woods' return, although the statement called the surgery, performed by Dr Martin O'Malley at HSS Sports Medicine in New York City, a success.
After making the weekend cut at the Masters, Woods withdrew early in the third round complaining of a return of painful plantar fasciitis in his foot.
The ailment, inflammation of the tissue band on the bottom of the foot, had caused him to pull out of the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas last November.
Woods, 47, had battled to make the cut at Augusta National, where weather delays made the event even more challenging, but was seen limping at times on the course where he has won five times.
Woods has competed in just five tournaments since his car crash near Los Angeles, completing 72 holes only twice.
He played four rounds in his surprise return to golf at last year's Masters and at the Genesis Invitational PGA Tour event at Riviera Country Club in February.
He withdrew from the 2022 PGA Championship after making the cut and missed the cut at the Open Championship at St Andrews last year.
There was no indication in Wednesday's statement if Woods would be fit for the next major of the year, the PGA Championship at Oak Hill, May 18-21.
He reiterated at Riviera in February that his competitive schedule would be extremely limited, saying he hoped to play in all four majors and perhaps "a couple" of other events.
At Augusta this month he acknowledged that he wonders each time he plays the Masters if it will be his last time there.
"I don't know how many more I have in me," he said, adding that he felt "very lucky" to still have his right leg.
"It has been tough and will always be tough. The ability and endurance of what my leg will do going forward will never be the same. That's why I can't prepare and play as many tournaments as I like. But that's my future and I'm OK with that."
