Tiger’s escape Lucky to be alive

Superstar cheats death in SUV crash, leaving him with serious leg injuries

Tiger Woods is “very fortunate” to be alive after crashing his SUV in Los Angeles yesterday. The golf superstar had to be pulled out through the windscreen, and underwent leg surgery after crashing his SUV into a raised median, crossing two oncoming lanes and rolling several times.

A statement on Woods’ Twitter account last night confirmed his injuries, noting that Woods had “undergone a long surgical procedure on his lower right leg and ankle”, but that he was awake, responsive and recovering in his hospital room.

Dr Anish Mahajan, the chief medical officer at Harbour-UCLA

Medical Centre, said Woods shattered the tibia and fibula bones of his lower right leg in multiple locations. Those injuries were stabilised with a rod in the tibia. Additional injuries to the bones in the foot and ankle required screws and pins.

The 45-year-old was alert and able to communicate as firefighters cut open the front windscreen to get him out. The airbags went off and the inside of the vehicle stayed basically intact, and that “gave him a cushion to survive the crash”, Los Angeles County sheriff Alex Villanueva said.

They said there was no immediate evidence Woods was impaired. Authorities said they checked for any odour of alcohol or other signs he was under the influence of a substance and found none. They didn’t say how fast he was driving.

The crash happened on a sweeping, downhill stretch of a two-lane road through upscale Los Angeles suburbs. Sheriff’s Deputy Carlos Gonzalez, who was the first to get to the wreck, said crashes are common.

“I will say that it’s very fortunate that Mr Woods was able to come out of this alive,” Gonzalez said.

When the deputy arrived, a neighbour told him the driver was still in the vehicle. Gonzalez said he poked his head through a hole in the windshield and saw Woods with his seatbelt on. The deputy asked Woods questions, including what day it was and where he was.

“Tiger was able to speak to me lucidly,” Gonzalez said. Woods appeared “incredibly calm,” the deputy said, likely because he was in shock.

Woods was in Los Angeles over the weekend as the tournament host of the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club, where he presented the trophy on Monday. He was to spend Tuesday and Wednesday filming with GOLFTV.

Woods, a 15-time major champion who shares with Sam Snead the PGA Tour record of 82 career victories, has been recovering from December 23 surgery on his lower back. It was his fifth back surgery and first since his lower spine was fused in April 2017, allowing him to stage a remarkable comeback that culminated with his fifth Masters title in 2019.

He last played on December 20 in the PNC Championship in Orlando, Florida, an unofficial event where players are paired with parents or children. He played with his son, Charlie, who is now 12. Woods also has a 13-year-old daughter.

During the Monday telecast on CBS from the golf tournament, Woods was asked about playing the Masters in April and said, “God, I hope so.” He said he was feeling a little stiff and had one more test to see if he was ready for more activities. He was not sure when he would play again.

This is the third time Woods has been involved in a car investigation. The most notorious was the early morning after Thanksgiving in 2009, when his SUV ran over a fire hydrant and hit a tree. That was the start of shocking revelations that he had been cheating on his wife with multiple women. Woods went to a rehabilitation clinic in Mississippi and did not return to golf for five months.

In May 2017, Florida police found him asleep behind the wheel of a car parked awkwardly on the side of the road. He was arrested on a drinkdriving charge and said later he had an unexpected reaction to prescription medicine for his back pain. Woods later pleaded guilty to reckless driving and checked into a clinic to get help.

Woods hasn’t won since the Zozo Championship in Japan in 2019, and has reduced his playing schedule in recent years because of injuries. Yesterday’s surgery was his 10th.

I will say that it’s very fortunate that Mr. Woods was able to come out of this alive. Sheriff’s Deputy Carlos Gonzalez