Tiger Woods followed up his second-place showing at The Masters with arthroscopic surgery on his left knee to repair cartilage damage, his second operation in five years on the same knee, reports the AP.      

The procedure, which took place Tuesday in Park City, Utah, will sideline him for at least a month while he recovers.      

"I made the decision to deal with the pain and schedule the surgery for after the Masters," Woods said. "The upside is that I have been through this process before and know how to handle it. I look forward to working through the rehabilitation process and getting back to action as quickly as I can."      

First announced on his Web site, the surgery came two days after Woods finished three shots behind Trevor Immelman in the Masters. He most likely will miss The Players Championship, but should return in time to play the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines on June 12.