Tiger Woods injured in serious car accident

For Tiger Woods it was a resounding comeback. After a back injury that seemed destined to end his career, he won the Masters Tournament in 2019, a thrilling return to form that captivated the nation.

But after a year of fits and starts, there were no major victories. , he announced last month that he had undergone another spinal procedure that would keep him out of competition until later this year.

Then came the one-time Tuesday car accident in which his SUV ran off the road and landed on a hill near Los Angeles, causing leg injuries that required hours of operation for Mr. Woods.

It was another devastating episode for Mr. Woods – which erupted onto the national scene. a kid and is the best golfer of his generation – raising questions about his ability to make a comeback again.

In recent years, Mr. Woods, who has won 15 major championships, ranked second in the history of the Jack Nicklaus & # 39; 18 sport, has spoken at length about the limitations imposed on his previous operations and injuries. have caused.

They have significantly reduced the amount of time he can practice and have often disrupted the flow and force of a once revered golf swing. For some of the past few seasons, Mr. Woods has been able to cringe after every few shots, and he often had trouble getting his golf ball out of the cup after making a hole.

His accident led to an outpouring of sports and beyond.

On Twitter, Mr. Nicklaus wrote about his and his wife's pain. "Barbara and I just heard about Tiger's accident, and like everyone else, we are very concerned," said Mr. Nicklaus's post. & # 39; We want to offer him our heartfelt support and prayers during this difficult time. Please join us and wish Tiger a successful operation and all the best for a full recovery.

Justin Thomas, a trusted confidant of Mr. Woods who regularly competes with him for pre-tournament practice rounds, seemed stunned by the news.

"I'm nauseous," said Mr. Thomas as he prepared for the Workday Championship, a PGA Tour event in Central Florida starting Thursday. & # 39; It hurts to see one of your best friends have an accident. I just hope he's okay. I'm just worried about his kids, I'm sure they're having a hard time.

The incident occurred around 7 a.m. Pacific Time near the boundary of Rolling Hills Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes, a suburb on the Los Angeles coast, on a winding stretch where the speed limit is 45 mph Two days earlier, Mr. Woods had hosted a PGA Tour event at the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles and stayed to secure a promotion spot for Golf Digest.

Mr. Woods traveled at a "faster speed than usual," but did not seem disturbed, Alex Villanueva, the Los Angeles County sheriff, said at a news conference, adding that "there was no attempt to draw blood, for example, at the hospital. "

Mr. Woods lost control of the vehicle on Hawthorne Boulevard, hit a curb and a tree before rolling several times, the sheriff said.

" That area has a high frequency of accidents, "Villanueva said." It's not uncommon. "

With 82 PGA Tour wins, Mr. Woods is, for the most part, ever on a level with Sam Snead.

But Mr. Woods is hindered by injuries in recent years. He has undergone five major back surgeries and three knee surgeries, leaving him uncompetitive for years.

His injuries in the car accident appear to be a substantial obstacle to getting back into full shape coming, a prospect already in question before the Masters in April.

In 2009, at the height of a career in which Mr. Woods was expected to destroy every record in his sport, news reports of serial Marital infidelity cost him his marriage and he was shunned by many in the golf community. His numerous corporate sponsors dropped him in quick succession. The scandal caused him to take a long break from golf. When he returned to the competition, he struggled to find his old form, a complication that coincided with the onset of his physical ailments.

On the same golf courses where he was long greeted by wild cheers, his presence was met with an eerie silence instead. As time went on, getting disapproved was far from Mr. Woods at tournaments. He was often seen as a limping sideline. A young breed of golfers now dominated the top of the rankings.

His downfall ultimately had a defining act: an arrest in the middle of the night in May 2017 that revealed an opioid addiction. Mr. Woods was taken into police custody after he was found alone and asleep in his car on the side of a road with the engine running.

Typical of his career was the resurrection of Mr. Woods. just as dramatic and striking.

At the Masters 2019, golf's most watched event, Mr. Woods not one of the pre-tournament favorites to win, but he did become a finalist. In the crucible of the event's final holes, as his rivals wither under the pressure, Mr. Woods found the inner determination that had been his trademark. He birded four of the last five holes to claim his fifth Masters title. As his last putt fell, he celebrated with a primal cry that seemed to be matched by the thousands of fans that surrounded the 18th green.

Just two years earlier, Mr. Woods as low as 1119th in the world. His comeback, especially given his off-track trials, was arguably the greatest in sports history.

Leaving the green, Mr. Woods lifted his son Charlie and daughter Sam into his arms – a gesture that was almost a repetition of the hug Mr. Woods & # 39; s father, Earl, had his son given after the Masters in 1997, Mr. Woods' first major victory.

He continued to compete with his peers in 2019 and won one more event, but the pandemic shortened 2020 golf season took place with frequent absence of Mr. Woods. Aside from a draw for the ninth in mid-January, he finished no higher than a draw for the 37th, appearing in just 10 events.

Mr. Woods has not played competitively since December. In January, he underwent a procedure on his back called a microdiscectomy, which was performed to remove a pressurized disc fragment that pinched a nerve. On Sunday, while hosting the Genesis Invitational PGA Tour event in Southern California, Mr. Woods interviewed during the tournament's broadcast. He said he'd started practicing and was comfortable smiling and joking with CBS announcers about his progress after the recent surgery. But he did not provide a timetable for his return to competitive golf.

The Masters, however, remained central to Mr. Woods' calendar. When asked if he would participate in the April event, Mr. Woods: “God, I hope so. I have to get there first. He added that he was "feeling fine, a little stiff" and was waiting for another MRI 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 be drawn to something more. "

Mr. Woods admitted that surgeons may have only so many more ways to help him." This is the only backside I have, "he said." I don't have much room for maneuver there. "

At the pandemic-delayed Masters in November, Mr. Woods finished in joint 38th place. In the wake of the final round of the event, he said on his physical weaknesses: “No matter how hard 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.

Monday at the Rolling Hills Country Club near Los Angeles, photos on social media showed Mr. See Woods. with several celebrities, including former NBA player Dwyane Wade. During the position, Mr. Woods gave the players golf tips and some instructions, but he didn't swing a golf club. Douglas Morino, Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, Alan Blinder, Kevin Draper and Gillian R. Brassil contributed to the reporting.