Tiger Woods was conscious and talking after the crash, authorities said.

Tiger Woods sustained serious leg injuries Tuesday after the luxury S.U.V. He drove into the median strip of a Los Angeles County road, crossed the other lane and rolled over several times before coming to a stop in a grassy field a few hundred yards from where he was driving, authorities said.

Emergency responders rushed to the crime scene just after 7 a.m. Pacific Time and took Woods, 45, to the nearest trauma center, where the golfer's manager said he had undergone surgery. Authorities said Woods was in a serious but stable condition at Harbor-U.C.L.A. Medical Center, and that his injuries didn't seem life-threatening.

Woods was conscious and able to speak to deputies when they arrived, calling them his name and seemed "clear and calm," said Deputy Carlos Gonzalez, who was the first officer on the scene. Woods couldn't stand alone because of his injuries, Deputy Gonzalez said.

Woods drove along the border of Rolling Hills Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes and went downhill along a road that people often drive on. the 45 mph speed limit, Sheriff Alex Villanueva of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said at a news conference.

Sheriff Villanueva said only that Woods appeared to be driving at a "faster than normal speed" and that he did not appear to be bothered by drugs or alcohol. He added that because Woods did not appear to be affected, "no attempt had been made to draw blood, for example in the hospital."

The sheriff said it was not yet clear what caused the crash. No other vehicles were hit and there were no skid marks on the spot, he said.

Mark Steinberg, Woods' longtime agent, said in a statement around noon that the golfer was "currently in operation," adding, "Thank you for your privacy and support."

Deputy Gonzalez said that when he arrived at the scene, Woods initially did not seem overly concerned about his injuries, which the officer says is common in people in shock. He said Woods was wearing his seat belt and the airbags on his S.U.V. deployed.

"He told me his name was Tiger, and at that point I recognized him immediately," Deputy Gonzalez said at the press conference.

Woods drove a Genesis SUV made by Hyundai's luxury division. Last weekend he hosted a PGA Tour event at the Riviera Country Club in Southern California called the Genesis Invitational, which is sponsored by the auto division. In Riviera, he made his PGA Tour debut in 1992.

Woods & # 39; vehicle was heading north on Hawthorne Boulevard at the intersection of Blackhorse Road when it crashed, picking up a sign with & # 39; Welcome to Rolling Hills Estates' and hit a tree as it rolled, Villanueva said.

Video from local television stations showed Woods's vehicle on its side in an open grassy area, with a crumpled hood and broken windshield.

The sheriff's office initially said that Woods was removed from the vehicle with a hydraulic spreading tool known as "Jaws of Life," but firefighters later said that the tool was not used. Daryl L. Osby, the chief of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, said that, among other things, rescue workers used an ax to get Woods out of the SUV

Chief Osby said Woods had injuries to both legs and that he was placed on a backboard chair as a standard precaution after severe crashes, in the event of possible spinal cord injury.

Woods has not played competitively since December and he underwent his fifth back surgery in January, a procedure called a microdiscectomy, to remove a pressurized disc fragment that pinched a nerve. Woods, interviewed on the air of the Genesis Invitational, said he had started practicing again, 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.

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

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