LOS ANGELES, USA (AFP) — Former world number one Tiger Woods said yesterday he has no date for his return from back surgery, revealing that he had yet to hit a ball since undergoing two operations to alleviate pain from a pinched nerve.

Woods, speaking at the Hero World Challenge at Albany Golf Club in the Bahamas which benefits his foundation, said he was frustrated by the inability to set a date for his return.

“Therein lies the tough question and tough answer,” Woods said.

“I don’t have an answer for that… there is no timetable. That’s the hardest part for me. There’s nothing I can look forward to.”

Woods once led the world ranking for a record 623 weeks but has since fallen to 400th in the world after struggling with form and fitness in recent years.

Woods underwent microdiscectomy surgery to remove a fragment that was causing a pinched nerve in September. He had another surgery to aid discomfort in October.

The latest procedures came after the same surgery in March 2014.

Woods played in only 11 events in 2015 because of his fitness problems, having played only seven tournaments the previous year.

“It’s different than the other surgeries,” Woods said. “For nerves, there is no timetable.”