Roundup: Tiger's Done For 2015 After Second Back Surgery

Tiger Woods told TigerWoods.com that he had surgery Wednesday at the hands of neurosurgeon Charles Rich, who performed Tiger's initial microdiscectomy operation and after a check up, recommended a follow up to which Woods apparently said yes almost immediately.

The most fascinating thing of all: the on the spot agreement to another major surgery from the same doctor, albeit one not as extensive as the previous microdiscectomy. (Now you can better understand how golf course developers keep going back to the same architects who built them courses that need more surgery not long after opening. So much for second opinions!)

Bob Harig and Jason Sobel of ESPN.com consider the surprising news and talk to agent Mark Steinberg, who explains how, just a week after a rare public commital to the Frys.com Open and a partners event with Matt Kuchar, Woods said yes to surgery.

"He committed, thinking it was going to be a regular checkup," Steinberg told ESPN.com. "Obviously, that area where he had the microdiscectomy had to be treated again. And it leads us to where we are now.”

Steinberg would not say how soon after the appointment the surgery was performed but acknowledged, "It was a really quick turnaround. It wasn't what he expected. ... But it was a really quick turnaround. not because something had to be done right there right now; it was so he could get back to golf as soon as he can. The doctor has told us that's a good prognosis from that standpoint.”

I think the same doctor said that last time. Maybe the third surgery will be the charm!

Needless to say it's a painful setback for a golfer who finally showed signs of life last month before shutting down his game.

Gary Van Sickle at golf.com sums it up this way:

This setback costs Tiger time, a valuable commodity that was once almost limitless for him and now is dwindling with alarming rapidity. If 2016 turns into a lost year or even a lost half-year, that’s another big blow to Tiger’s comeback hopes. He hasn’t won a PGA Tournament in more than two years. He hasn’t won a major championship in seven years. Time is getting shorter, and the odds are getting longer.

If you're inclined, G.C. Digital recounts Tiger's injury history. It's a long one.