But this is the new reality for a 43-year-old who has undergone four back surgeries, including spinal fusion surgery in the spring of 2017, and suffered from countless other maladies throughout his career. Last year, Woods made 19 starts, his most since 2013. This year, he has made just six, having pulled out of the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March, a tournament he has won eight times, at the last minute because of a strained neck.