COLUMN: What will Tiger's legacy be?

     Somewhere I read this week that Tiger Woods underwent his fourth back surgery. Estimated time away from the game after this surgery has been said to be about six months. Woods had fusion surgery to create space in his lower back.

     Woods is a 14-time major winner. Now the biggest question for him is, will he ever play another major? Since his first back surgery in 2014 he has started just 19 events. He has completed just nine of them.

     Tiger has dropped all the way down to 788 in the world rankings after spending most of his career as the top dog. Only time will tell if he ever gets the chance to compete again and if so, at what level.

     Early on I hoped Woods would never pass Jack Nicklaus’s record of 18 majors. For a long time it appeared as though he would. Now that injuries have set in, Jack’s record may stand at number one for a long time.

     Even though I am not a big Tiger fan, golf needs him back healthy and competitive, especially now. With so many good young golfers out there it would be fun watching a competitive Tiger Woods battling the likes of Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day, Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler, just to name a few.

     Plus, Tiger sure would be a great addition to the US team in the next Ryder Cup.

     Woods’ three previous surgeries have been reported to be temporary fixes, to alleviate pain and discomfort. This fourth surgery has been deemed more corrective or said to eventually fix him for a better quality of life. I hope that includes playing more competitive golf.