Tiger Woods could return in a much better state after his surgery

Tiger Woods underwent successful surgery on his ankle on Wednesday. After injuries have piled up in recent years, Woods is taking a bit of time off to heal. It could be the best decision he's made in a long time. The surgery was to repair a ligament on his ankle that allows for sideways motion.

According to the doctor who did the surgery, it went well. He also believes that Woods could return in better shape than he has been. It's no secret that his health has been on the decline for a long time.

Woods released a statement on Twitter detailing the surgery and what it was for:

"Earlier today, Tiger underwent a subtalar fusion procedure to address his post-traumatic arthritis from his previous talus fracture. It was performed by Dr. Martin O'Malley at HHS Sports Medicine Institute in New York City. He has determined the surgery to be successful. Tiger is currently recovering and looks forward to beginning his rehabilitation."

Any participation in PGA Tour events from Woods was a long shot. However, with the expected downtime from the golfer not being as long as expected, he could be back and better than he has been for a year or more. The limp he walks with could be gone by the time he's recovered.

This is excellent news for Woods, who had to withdraw from his last appearance at the Masters after barely making the cut. He said:

"I am disappointed to have to [withdraw] this morning due to reaggravating my plantar fasciitis. Thank you to the fans and to The Masters who have shown me so much love and support. Good luck to the players today!"

Now that he's had surgery, the future might look even brighter. At the very least, retirement due to injuries is on the back burner for now.

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EX-PGA star turned surgeon believes Tiger Woods could be out a while

Bill Mallon is a former PGA Tour professional. Now, he's a surgeon. While he didn't perform the surgery on Tiger Woods, he believes the procedure could take a good long while to heal.

He said via Daily Mail:

"It usually takes 6 weeks to 3 months for the fusion to take effect, and Tiger will have limited weight-bearing during that time, which again will be at the surgeon's discretion, and also depends on how the fusion is healing."

Tiger Woods will undergo rehabilitation next

He added that Woods can certainly play again, just not for a while in all likelihood:

"Can he play golf again? Yes, but that's at least 6 months to a year in the future. His tournaments for 2023 are likely over, and I would not be surprised to not see him play again until Augusta 2024."

The surgeon knows Tiger Woods won't get back to his prime, but admits that the legendary golfer could certainly play better:

"Can he play golf well again? Depends on your definition of well. He'll never be the Tiger of 2000 or even 2015. The fact that this is his right foot/ankle is the saving grace, as you need motion in your left foot/ankle as you roll over it near impact."

The surgeon who did the procedure will be a big factor in Tiger Woods' recovery time and efficacy.