We’ve all seen Tiger in the throes of an agonizing back spasm that forced him to withdraw from play. But in his most recent tournament, his face didn’t register anywhere near that kind of pain. In fact, according to experts, the world’s former #1 was playing “his best golf of the year” during last month’s Wyndham Championship. Sure, he seemed a little stiff at times – and he acknowledged that his back was bothering him some. But he said he had mostly hip discomfort, and he had just signed on for the 2015 Frys.com Open in Silverado, Calif. Next thing you know, he’s pulled out of three upcoming events and won’t be back on the course this year. Though Tiger offered few details about his condition, he apparently had a small disk fragment that was pinching a nerve in the same location in his lumbar spine where his earlier surgery had taken place. The problem was discovered during a regular checkup, and, since Tiger had previously undergone exhaustive, noninvasive therapies that didn’t work (leading to his first spine operation), his doctor indicated that another surgery was necessary. Given that the season was just winding down and Tiger hoped to be back in action by the beginning of 2016, he decided to have the procedure right away so he could immediately begin his recovery.