The lure of multi-million dollar purses and the escalating demand for distance are driving a surge in career-ending back injuries among professional golfers, according to Dr. Tom LaFountain, Director of Chiropractic Services for the PGA Tour.
LaFountain, who has worked with players including Tiger Woods for the past 27 years, observed a shift in the nature of back problems on the Tour. While lower back issues have consistently affected approximately 85 percent of players seeking treatment in the PGA Tour fitness trailers, the severity and underlying causes have evolved. “The swing is much faster, there is more torque and rotation, there is much more pressure on the lower back,” LaFountain said in a recent interview, as reported by GOLF.com. “There’s an arms race for distance that didn’t used to exist.”
Historically, veteran players like Tom Watson, Jay Haas, and Bernhard Langer were able to manage their bodies and extend their careers well into their 40s and 50s, often transitioning successfully to the Champions Tour. These players, according to LaFountain, possessed a willingness to moderate their swing speed and prioritize longevity. “They all had the ability and willingness to capture something off the speed of their swings as needed, get around for a while some other way, preserve their backs, live to golf another week,” he explained.
However, the current generation of golfers is prioritizing immediate financial gain over long-term career prospects, LaFountain contends. The dramatic increase in prize money – from a total of $66 million in 1995 to $565 million in 2025 – has incentivized players to swing for maximum distance, even at the expense of their physical health. In 2025, Scottie Scheffler earned $19.5 million in prize money, while even a player finishing 94th on the money list, Lee Hodges, took home $1.6 million.
This shift in mindset is particularly pronounced among international players, who may view the PGA Tour as a unique opportunity to secure financial stability for themselves and their families, according to LaFountain. “Their families are thousands of miles away, their friends, the lives they know best,” he said. “It can be lonely, playing here. But [outside of a LIV invite] there’s nowhere else in the world they can create this kind of money.”
The trend is already evident among top players. Rory McIlroy, 36, recently withdrew from the Bay Hill event with a back injury, stating he doubted he would still be playing professional golf in his 50s. Tiger Woods, 49, has seen his playing schedule severely limited since 2020. LaFountain suggests that a career extending into a player’s 50s, similar to Watson, Haas, and Langer, is no longer a realistic aspiration for most.
LaFountain’s observations are supported by his extensive experience on the PGA Tour, beginning in 1997 after a career working with Olympic athletes, including speedskaters Bonnie Blair and Dan Jansen. He currently serves as Director of Chiropractic Services for the PGA Tour and Champions Tour, and is the President & Founder of Professional Sports Care. He has also developed a 36-hour Golf Certification Program, endorsed by the PGA, to train chiropractors in specialized golf-related care, having trained over 100 chiropractors nationwide.
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