MIAMI - Tiger Woods said on Dec 2 that recovery from his latest back surgery has not gone as quickly as he wanted, stating it was too soon to set a target date for a return to action.

The 15-time major champion, who will turn 50 later this month,

underwent disc replacement surgery

Speaking at his Hero World Challenge tournament in the Bahamas on Dec 2, the former world number one revealed that he had recently been cleared to try chipping and putting, but had no idea of when he may return to competitive action.

“It’s not as fast as I’d like it to be,” Woods replied when asked about the pace of his recovery from what was the seventh operation on his back.

“It was a good thing to do, something I needed to have happen, and it just takes time and dedication to the rehab process.”

Asked if he had an idea of his likely tournament schedule in 2026, Woods said he was still “a ways” from determining a timetable for his return.

“I’m just looking forward to just let me get back to playing again, let me do that and then I’ll kind of figure out what the schedule is going to be,” Woods said.

“I’m a ways away from that part of it and that type of decision, that type of commitment level.

“Unfortunately, I’ve been through this rehab process before, it’s just step by step. Once I get a feel for practicing, exploding, playing, the recovery process, then I can assess where I’m going to play and how much I’ll play.”

Woods suffered severe leg injuries in a 2021 car crash but returned at the 2022 Masters and finished 47th.