Recently, Tiger Woods has been making more frequent public appearances, mostly to support his son Charlie’s rising junior golf career.

But while the 15-time major winner looked relatively recovered from his latest Achilles surgery, another rumor has resurfaced over the internet. This time, it is about his hair.

Last week, Dr. Gary Linkov, a certified hair and skin surgeon with over one million YouTube subscribers, disclosed that Woods may have undergone two failed hair transplant surgeries.

READ: After Upsetting Tiger Woods With Retirement Call, Ex-Rival Tries to Undo Damage With 10-Word Statement

He predicted one to be around 2012, while another in 2017, totaling roughly 3,000 grafts to the frontal and mid-scalp.

To do this, Linkov used over 60 photos of Woods from the past three decades and traced the hair loss timeline. Per his observations, in 1994, Tiger had a full head of curly hair, but by the time the Big Cat won his first Masters (1997), there was “some frontotemporal recession.”

Frontotemporal recession is when there is hair loss or thinning at the front and top sides of the head. Usually, it is above the temples.

“It’s very mild, but it’s clearly there compared to just a few years before,” Linkov stated. Following years, there was still thinning of the hairline, but the major difference was spotted in 2006, the year Woods lost his father, Earl Woods.

The 40-year-old surgeon pointed towards Woods’ picture from his video game launch in 2006 and described it as “progressive frontal scalp thinning.”

Tiger Woods Undergoes First Transplant

Then came 2012, the year of his first suspected transplant.

“Tiger’s hairline is looking a bit stronger,” Linkov said in his video, adding he saw signs of FUT (Follicular Unit Transplant) scarring on the occipital scalp.

FUT scarring, in simple words, means the mark left on the back of the head after a hair transplant surgery.

The second surgery, according to Linkov, likely occurred in 2017, the same year Woods underwent spinal fusion surgery.

“The primary population of hair in the frontal area is actually the transplanted grafts,” Linkov explained. But the results didn’t hold.

According to the American doctor, by 2023, Woods’ crown thinning had worsened, and Tiger likely didn’t pursue much medical therapy after hair transplant (finasteride or minoxidil), which could have helped preserve density.

Reports confirm that 25% of men experience hair loss by age 21, and by age 50, that number jumps to 70%.

Woods, now 49, fits squarely into that curve. And if you skim through his photos from the 1990s to now, the transformation is pretty undeniable.

As of now, the 3-time Open Championship winner is unlikely to return to competitive golf until 2026, as stated by his doctor, Dr. Charlton.

Colin Montgomerie was the European Tour’s answer to Tiger Woods even before Mr. T turned pro.

The Scottish legend dominated the continent and won 31 titles along the way. His incredible record in Europe made everyone think he would destroy the American League. To everyone’s surprise, in the 142 appearances he made, Montgomerie won 0 titles. That doesn’t mean he didn’t come close.

The Scottish legend had 6 runner-ups to his name, 5 of which were in majors. Yet he failed to win any of them. Like any other champion golfer, he was frustrated with Woods. And when the latter was not performing well, Montgomerie didn’t shy throwing shade at him. However, he seems to have had a change of tune since then.

READ: ‘Just keep doing it’: Eye-Opening Tiger Woods News Emerges This Week

Just a few hours ago, he sat down with the crew of Cookie Jar Golf, discussing the impact of Woods during his prime. Commending his incredible dedication and fitness to keep competing, Montgomerie said, “Tiger changed the way golfers thought about themselves as athletes. You can never say that (Jack) Nicholas or (Arnold) Palmer were the best athletes in the world, but you could with Tiger Woods.” Woods was famously known for pushing his physical limits to reach the next level of golf. His fitness routines were so harsh that Michelle Wie West paid the price for them with injuries and early retirement by following them. The 82-time PGA Tour champion has struggled with injuries of his own that forced him off the course.

“They are fitter, stronger, bigger. The athletes, the Brooks Koepkas, the Bryson DeChambeaus, real athletes that can do a lot more than just play golf. Tiger changed that. He changed the way we had to think about what we did,” Montgomerie said, further amplifying the impact of Woods on the current generation of golfers. Nearly all the active players he mentioned idolize Tiger and have grown up watching him write golf history. Some of the fittest players on the course today, like DeChambeau, Koepka, Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa, and Ludvig Aberg, were inspired by Woods, and they have openly confessed that. However, each of them has found their own path of fitness to compete at the same level as the 15-time major winner.

It was not just fitness that Tiger Woods made popular. As Colin expressed, “Youngsters were wearing the Nike hats, the whole Nike thing blew from there as well. Golf became cool. People were playing golf all over the world, wanting to be the next Tiger Woods. And it was great for golf. It has sustained, to be honest. We’re talking ’97, we’re talking 30 years ago now, almost, and it has sustained to this day.” As the Scottish legend admitted, Woods made golf cool. So much so that his impact has lasted long after his prime. In fact, Woods still moves the needle enough to be one of the most impactful individuals in golf.

From wanting him to retire due to bad form to confessing that he made the sport what it is today, Montgomerie has certainly come a long way. Well, the 62-year-old may have a moment of clarity after the harsh comments he made about his rival not so long ago. But it may also be because of the furious reaction Tiger Woods had to Colin Montgomerie’s jab last year. Let’s see how Mr. T reacted.

Tiger Woods left fuming with Colin Montgomerie’s comments

Colin Montgomerie saw the opportunity to bash Tiger Woods about his bad form after the latter missed the cuts in the PGA Championship and U.S. Open in 2024. He suggested that the 15-time major winner should consider retiring from golf, a statement he later retracted from saying that it was taken out of context. Nevertheless, the damage had already been done, and Woods was furious about it.

In the press conference for the 2024 Open Championship, he said, “I’ll play as long as I can play, and I feel like I can still win the event. As a past champion, I’m exempt until I’m 60. Colin’s not. He’s not a past champion, so he’s not exempt. So he doesn’t get the opportunity to make that decision. I do. When I get to his age, I get to still make that decision, whereas he doesn’t.” Montgomerie’s comment clearly triggered Woods. However, his response made it clear that he was not looking to retire anytime soon. Hopefully, this still stands true past 2025 as Tiger Woods turns 50 on December 30 and is eligible for the Champions Tour.

Tiger Woods is currently off the competitive golf scene following his March Achilles surgery, his 14th major operation.

Despite this hiatus, fans continue to spot him on the course, often as a supportive dad.

Recently, Woods was seen at the Nicklaus Junior Championship in Tequesta, Florida, cheering on his 16-year-old son Charlie, who finished sixth in a field of 122.

READ: Rory McIlroy and Erica Stoll’s relationship could break down again for one major reason

Woods has remained present throughout his son’s rise, including celebrating his first American Junior Golf Association win in May.

However, an astonishing fact about Woods’ own golf game came up this week. On the latest episode of Golf.com’s “Subpar” podcast, that star’s former caddie Steve Williams divulged a wild long‑held secret.

Williams routinely gave Tiger incorrect yardages to exploit his adrenaline‑charged state.

“The one thing I always noticed for Tiger when he was running a little warm is the adrenaline that he would get going,” Williams explained. “I could tell that when the adrenaline was going, he would walk quicker, he would talk quicker. Everything became a bit quicker.”

“The biggest thing I did was adjust the yardages all the time. I mean I was constantly doing that. You know, if it was 160 yards and it’s a 9-iron, I’d be telling him it’s 170 or something,” Williams continued.

“I’d be adjusting the yardages so often because he just got the adrenaline going and ball started going further and further.”

Even on par‑threes, Williams recalled telling Tiger a six‑iron distance as a seven‑iron to keep him in check. The longtime caddie admitted this took courage.

“I had to be extremely aware of that, and I got a very good handle on that, to the point where I can recall one round at Bay Hill in the final round of one of his victories there,” Williams remarked.

“I didn’t give him the right yardage – the correct yardage – on any shot for the entire round… I did that so often when he got running hot and got the adrenaline going,” Williams added.

“Yeah. It took him a while to (figure it out). I can’t remember or pinpoint exactly when he asked me something about it. He said, ‘Just keep doing it. You know what you are doing.’”