Tiger Woods has undergone reconstructive surgery on his left knee in Utah to repair a torn ligament, and doctors say it's "highly unlikely" there will be any long-term effects.
It's the second time in 10 weeks Woods had surgery on his knee, this time on his anterior cruciate ligament.
"We were confident going into this surgery, and I am pleased with the results," Dr. Thomas D. Rosenberg said on Tuesday in a statement released by IMG, Woods' management company.
"There were no surprises during the procedure, and as we have said, with the proper rehabilitation and training, it is highly unlikely that Mr. Woods will have any long-term effects as it relates to his career."
Even without playing for the rest of the year, Woods has clinched the Mark H. McCormack Award for being No.1 in the world ranking for the most weeks during a season.
No surprise there -- Woods has won the award every year since it began in 1998.
The question is whether he can stay No.1 for the rest of the season. Woods is at 21.14 points, more than double that of Phil Mickelson at No.2.
Points are gradually reduced, and without earning any more points, Woods will finish 2008 with an average of 11.97.
That leaves him in range of Mickelson, who likely will need to win a major, a World Golf Championship event and perhaps two other events to replace Woods at No.1.
Since the world ranking became official in 1986, Mickelson and the late Payne Stewart are the only players to win three majors without ever reaching No.1.
