Former world number two Steve Stricker has back surgery

Stricker had the procedure at a Wisconsin hospital on Tuesday after being hampered by a compressed nerve in his lower back that has caused problems in his hips and legs.

(Reuters)

"I'm very excited to get back to practising and competing in 2015 and expect to be 100 percent physically which really excites me.” said Stricker said in a statement.

The 47-year-old does not have a specific target date for a return to competition.

Stricker, who reached as high as second in the world rankings, currently is ranked 41st.

(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina. Editing by Steve Keating.)