Tiger Woods Injured in Car Crash in Los Angeles Area: Live Updates


Here's What You Need to Know:

Credit … Hilary Swift for The New York Times

Tiger Woods was injured in a serious car accident, the Los Angeles County Sheriff & # 39; s Department said Tuesday, adding in a statement that paramedics retrieved him from the wreckage with rescue tools called the "jaws of life."

Mark Steinberg, Mr. Woods, said in a statement that Woods had suffered "injuries to several legs" and is "currently undergoing surgery."

Steinberg added, "Thank you for your privacy and support."

The incident occurred on Tuesday at around 7:12 a.m. local time near the border of Rolling Hills Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes, a coastal city of about 42,000 residents in Los Angeles County, Mr. Woods' vehicle headed north on Hawthorne Boulevard on Blackhorse Road When it crashed, the Sheriff & # 39; s Department said.

"The vehicle was severely damaged," said the department.

Photos of the crash scene broadcast on the local television Tuesday afternoon showed a black SUV turned on its side in an open grass area with extensive damage to the front of the vehicle.

Credit … KABC-TV, via Associated Press

Mr. Woods was removed from the vehicle with a hydraulic spreader tool, often the & # 39; jaws of life & # 39; was called by firefighters and paramedics in Los Angeles County, and he was then taken to a hospital. His condition and the extent of his injuries were not immediately apparent.

The incident is being investigated by the Los Angeles Sheriff & # 39; s Lomita Department station.

Mr. Woods, 45, has not played competitively since December and underwent his fifth back surgery in January, a procedure called a microdiscectomy, to remove a pressurized disc fragment that pinched a nerve. Last weekend, he hosted a PGA Tour event in Southern California called the Genesis Invitational. Woods, who was interviewed during that tournament's broadcast, said he had started practicing, and seemed comfortable, smiling and joking with CBS announcers about his post-surgery progress. But he did not offer a timetable for his return to competitive golf.

All he said was that he hoped to resume playing in the Masters Tournament, which will be held in the first full week of April.

Monday, at an event at the Rolling Hills Country Club near Los Angeles, photos on social media showed Mr. Woods enjoyed interacting with several celebrities, including NBA player Dwyane Wade. During the position, Mr. Woods players golf tips and limited instruction, but he didn't swing a golf club.

] Credit … Doug Mills / The New York Times

The Masters, the legendary tournament that Tiger Woods five times is less than seven weeks away. But even for Tuesday's wreck, it was far from clear whether Woods, who is recovering from another back surgery, could play at the Augusta National Golf Club this year.

Asked on CBS on Sunday if he would compete in Georgia in April, Woods replied, “God, I hope so. I have to get there first.

Woods announced on January 19 that doctors had removed a pressurized disc fragment during his fifth back surgery. The procedure, a microdiscectomy, was familiar territory for Woods. He had undergone the procedure several times over the years, but said he would miss at least two tournaments.

However, the Masters have still remained central to the Woods calendar. On Sunday he said he was "fine, a little stiff" and was waiting for a new M.R.I. scan to evaluate his progress.

In the meantime, he said, he had “still been doing the mundane things you need to do for rehab, the little things before you can lean towards something more.

Jay Monahan, the PGA Tour Commissioner, said in a statement Tuesday afternoon that he was aware of the crash. "We are waiting for more information when he comes out of surgery," said Monahan. "On behalf of the PGA Tour and our players, Tiger has been in our prayers and will have our full support as he recovers."

Woods finished in joint 38th place in November, when the pandemic-delayed 2020 Masters was played. Although he shot a 10 on hole No. 12 on the last round, he birdie for five of the last six holes.

"As hard as I try, things just don't work the way they used to, and no matter how much I push and demand from this body, sometimes it just doesn't work," Woods said after that round.

This week, Woods admitted that maybe surgeons have so many more ways to help him: “This is the only backside I have. I don't have much room for maneuver there.

Credit. .. Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press

Justin Thomas, a trusted confidant of Tiger Woods who regularly visits Woods for tournament practice rounds, seemed dumbfounded by the news of Woods' accident on Tuesday.

"I'm nauseous," Thomas said as he prepared for the Workday Championship, a PGA Tour event in Central Florida starting Thursday. "It hurts to see one of your best friends in an accident."

Thomas said he had heard about the Woods crash a few minutes earlier.

"Man, I hope everything is okay," he said. "I'm just worried about his kids, I'm sure they're having a hard time."

Thomas and his father, Mike, were paired with Woods and his son Charlie during the PNC Championship, a father and son tournament in December. Woods also has a daughter, Sam.

Tiger Woods has previously been in a well-publicized car accident.

In November 2009, Woods crashed his SUV into a fire hydrant outside his Florida home in the middle of the night. In the crash, he was knocked unconscious and taken to a hospital by ambulance, where he was treated for minor facial injuries. But the incident is mostly remembered for what happened next and the consequences for his career. There were numerous reports of Woods' infidelity and an apology admitting to cheating on his wife. He lost numerous sponsors and quit golf for months. Woods and Elin Nordegren eventually divorced.

Woods was also arrested in Florida in 2017 after police found him in his car on the side of a road with the engine running at 3:00 AM. Woods blamed the incident for the interaction of several prescription drugs, including Vicodin, and had no alcohol in his system. He eventually went to a diversion program for the first time that D.U.I. offenders, and pleaded guilty to reckless driving.