Tiger Woods is “awake, responsive, and recovering in his hospital room” following emergency surgery after a single-car accident in southern California, the golf legend’s foundation said in a statement.
Harbor-UCLA Medical Center chief medical officer Dr. Anish Mahajan said Woods “suffered significant orthopaedic injuries” to his right leg.
Mahajan said a rod was inserted to stabilize his femur bones and tibia, and “combination of screws and pins” were used to stabilize injuries in his foot bones.
Shortly before 7:15 A.M. Tuesday, Woods crashed his luxury SUV into a raised median while driving through Rancho Palos Verdes, Los Angeles County.
Woods was conscious while firefighters extracted him from the vehicles windshield with a Halligan tool and axe.
As Golf Digest reports:
Woods, 45, was in California for a two-day content shoot with Golf Digest/GOLFTV after serving as host for the PGA Tour’s Genesis Invitational over the weekend. Pictures surfaced on social media of Woods smiling with Dwayne Wade and David Spade at Rolling Hills Country Club on Monday, but with his movement still restricted, he did not hit balls or play any holes.
Former President Donald Trump, a longtime friend of Woods, issued a statement wishing the golfer a speedy recovery.
“Get well soon, Tiger. You are a true champion!” the president said.
Justin Thomas, the Number 3 golf player in the world, said the news of Woods’ crash was difficult to take.
“It hurts to see one of my closest friends get in an accident. Man, I just hope he’s all right,” Thomas said.
Deputies who responded to Woods “did not see any evidence of impairment,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva told reporters during a press conference.
Law enforcement checked Woods and the vehicle for any sign of drugs and alcohol or other signs that he was under the influence of a substance. Law enforcement did not see any signs.
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 lost major corporate sponsorships, 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 DUI 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 with prescription medication and a sleep disorder.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.