Tiger Woods will be out of tournament golf for at least another six months after he underwent a fourth back surgery this week.
Woods, who has played just three tournaments in the past two seasons, announced on his website that he had the procedure to relieve back spasms and pain in his back.
The statement indicated that the surgery went well.
"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,'' Woods said.
Woods, 41, first had back surgery in March, 2014 and then had two more procedures in 2015.
According to the statement, a disc in his lower back narrowed because of the first three surgeries, causing sciatica and severe back and leg pain.
In the most recent surgery, the disc as removed in a procedure performed by Dr. Richard Guyer of the Centre for Disc Replacement at the Texas Back Institute.
Woods hit a few balls at a media day relating to a new course he is designing in Missouri. But he underwent the surgery, described by his management as a last option treatment, on Wednesday.
The surgery typically takes six months' recovery.