USA TODAY International Edition
Woods hurt in crash
Golfer sustains serious injuries to both legs in Calif.
LOS ANGELES – Tiger Woods sustained serious injuries to both legs in a one- car crash early Tuesday in the Los Angeles area, authorities said.
Los Angeles County officials said in a news conference that the golfing great had to be extricated from his vehicle after the crash, in which his Genesis GV80 struck a median in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, rolled over several times and landed in the brush several hundred feet away. Woods, 45, was the only person in the car.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Woods was conscious when officers arrived on the scene and there was no evidence that he was impaired. The 15- time major champion
was later transported to Harbor- UCLA Medical Center.
“He is currently in surgery and we thank you for your privacy and support,” Woods’ longtime agent, Mark Steinberg, said in a statement Tuesday afternoon.
Authorities said the crash occurred just before 7: 15 a. m. PST on a downhill stretch of Hawthorne Boulevard on the border of Rancho Palos Verdes and Rolling Hills Estates, an upscale neighborhood south of downtown Los Angeles. Woods had been in the area for the Genesis Invitational, a PGA Tour event at Riviera Country Club. He hosted the event and presented the trophy but did not play because of a recent back surgery.
Area residents told USA TODAY Sports that car accidents are frequent along that stretch of roadway. Deputy Carlos Gonzalez, the first officer on the scene of the crash, said the speed limit there is 45 mph, but he has repeatedly seen drivers touch 80 mph.
“As mentioned by the sheriff, that specific stretch of roadway is one of our trouble spots,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez arrived on the scene at 7: 18 a. m. PST and found Woods, who was wearing his seat belt, trapped in the car. He said he made contact with the golfer, who seemed “calm and lucid.”
“I asked him what his name was. He told me his name was Tiger,” Gonzalez said. “And at that moment, I immediately recognized him.”
Less than 15 minutes later, the fire department arrived and began removing the windshield to extricate Woods. While the sheriff ’ s department initially said authorities needed to use the “jaws of life,” fire Chief Daryl Osby clarified the tool was not needed.
Villanueva said the front of the SUV was “totally destroyed” but the interior was more or less intact, which likely helped protect Woods during the crash.
Authorities added that there was a second crash at the same spot later Tuesday when another vehicle apparently pulled over to see what happened. That crash did not result in any injuries.
The severity of Woods’ leg injuries was not immediately clear Tuesday night, though Gonzalez said the golfer was unable to walk under his own power at the scene.
“It’s my understanding that he had serious injuries to both legs,” Osby said.
The crash comes a little more than a decade after Woods was involved in an accident outside his former Florida home. At roughly 2: 30 a. m. on Nov. 27, 2009, his Cadillac Escalade hit several hedges and a fire hydrant before coming to rest after hitting a tree.
Daniel Saylor, the former chief of police in Windermere, Florida, told The Associated Press at the time that police found Woods outside the vehicle with his wife, Elin, nearby. The crash happened several days after the tabloid the National Enquirer published a story saying Woods was having an affair.
Not long after the accident, and the story, Woods would confess to living a secret life and having multiple affairs.
News of Woods’ crash Tuesday led to an outpouring of support and concern throughout the golf community.
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement Tuesday that he was awaiting further information after Woods’ surgery and that “Tiger is in our prayers.” Tour players at this week’s WGC- Workday Championship, meanwhile, were stunned.
“It’s sickening,” fellow tour pro Adam Scott said. “He’s our hero out here. You think guys like Tiger and Kobe Bryant are untouchable, but they’re not. I just hope he’s all right.”
Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers star, died in a helicopter crash near Los Angeles a little more than a year ago.
Arguably the most accomplished golfer of his era, Woods has battled a string of injuries in recent years, including several involving his back. He last played in an event on Dec. 20, when he teamed up with his 11- yearold son, Charlie, at the PNC Championship.