Tiger recovering after crash, may not play again
LOS ANGELES: US golf legend Tiger Woods was recovering in a hospital on Tuesday after surgery for serious leg injuries sustained in a car crash that law enforcement officials said he was lucky to survive.
Woods was driving in a Los Angeles suburb on a road notorious for fatal accidents when his car crashed, rolling several times. Harbor-ucla Medical Center chief medical officer Anish Mahajan said Woods underwent surgery to repair “significant orthopaedic injuries” to his lower right leg and ankle. This included the insertion of a rod into his tibia and the use of “a combination of screws and pins” to stabilise his foot and ankle, the statement read.
Woods did not appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol during the early-morning incident, said Los Angeles County sheriff Alex Villanueva.
No other vehicles or passengers were involved in the crash, but Woods was travelling at “a greater speed than normal,” the sheriff added. The accident has triggered speculation that the crash could severely affect the career of the greatest golfer of his generation.
LOS ANGELES: In a career filled with remarkable comebacks, Tiger Woods faces perhaps his toughest recovery of all. Woods was driving alone through a sweeping, downhill stretch of road through coastal suburbs of LA when his SUV struck a sign, crossed over a raised median and two oncoming lanes flipped several times before coming to rest on its side. Its airbags deployed. A sheriff’s deputy poked his head through a hole in the windshield to see Woods, still wearing his seatbelt, sitting in the driver’s seat.
The crash caused “significant” injuries to his right leg and he underwent what was described as a “long surgical procedure” at Harbor-ucla Medical Center. Anish Mahajan, the chief medical officer, said Woods shattered tibia and fibula in multiple places. He suffered “open fractures,” meaning the skin was broken. The bones were stabilised by a rod in the tibia. He said a combination of screws and pins were used for injuries in the ankle and foot. A statement on his Twitter account said he was awake, responsive and recovering. “I will say that it’s very fortunate that Mr. Woods was able to come out of this alive,” said Carlos
Gonzalez, the deputy from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department who was the first on the scene after a neighbour called 911. No charges were filed, and police said there was no evidence he was impaired. Dr. Joseph Patterson, an orthopedic trauma surgeon at Keck Medicine of USC in Los Angeles, said: “Open fractures can require multiple surgeries to repair.”
Washington Football Team quarterback Alex Smith suffered an open fracture to his lower leg while being tackled. He nearly lost the leg due to infection but made a remarkable recovery and played last season.
The crash was the latest setback for Woods is among the most recognisable sports figures in the world, and at 45 with a reduced schedule from nine previous surgeries, remains golf’s biggest draw. He won the 2008 US Open with shredded knee ligaments and two stress fractures in his left leg. His personal life imploded on Thanksgiving weekend in 2009 when he was caught having multiple extramarital affairs and crashed his vehicle near his Florida home. He returned to win his 11th award as PGA Tour player of the year and reach No. 1. And then after four back surgeries that kept him out of golf for the better part of two years, he won the Masters in April 2019 for the fifth time, a win that ranks among the great comebacks in sport. Now it’s no longer a matter of when he plays again—the Masters is seven weeks away— but if he plays again.
Woods was in Los Angeles over the weekend as the tournament host of the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club. Monday and Tuesday had been set aside for Discovery-owned GOLFTV for Woods to give playing tips to celebrities.
A tweet Monday showed him in a cart at Rolling Hills Country Club with comedian David Spade. He also worked with NBA great Dwyane Wade, who posted a video to his Instagram account.
The crash happened about 7:15am as Woods drove his courtesy vehicle from the Genesis Invitational through the upscale suburbs. Gonzalez does traffic enforcement on the road Woods was travelling and says in the area of the crash he sometimes catches people topping 80 mph (129 kph) in the downhill, 45-mph zone. Crashes are common. Police said Woods was alert as firefighters pried open the front windshield to get him out. Authorities said they checked for any odor of alcohol or other signs he was under the influence of a substance and found none.