Tiger Woods won the Tour Championship Sept. 23 in Atlanta, Ga., his first tournament win in five years, according to ESPN.
With momentum behind him, Mr. Woods reported he didn't know if would be able to play golf again. One of the reasons the golfer was able to return to the game is Richard Guyer, MD, the spine surgeon that brought back Mr. Wood's swing.
Here are five things to know about the spine surgeon:
1. Dr. Guyer operated on Mr. Woods in April to treat the golfer's sciatica. He performed an anterior lumbar interbody fusion and Mr. Woods underwent six months of rehabilitation before returning.
2. The co-founder of Plano-based Texas Back Institute, Dr. Guyer is also the director of the institute's spine fellowship program.
3. Dr. Guyer co-directs the Center for Disc Replacement at Texas Back Institute as a board-certified surgeon.
4. The founder of the Texas Back Institute Research Foundation, Dr. Guyer serves as the chairman of the foundation's board. He is a past president of the North American Spine Society.
5. After earning his medical degree from Philadelphia-based University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Dr. Guyer completed his residency at Philadelphia-based Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He underwent fellowship training in Long Beach, Calif., under Leon Wiltse, MD.