Tiger Woods was involved in a “high-speed” single-car accident outside Los Angeles at 7:12 a.m. Tuesday morning, per the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department, and was in “serious condition” after undergoing surgery for multiple injuries to his legs.
Woods was the sole occupant of a 2021 Genesis GV80 SUV when he headed northbound on a downhill, windy portion of Hawthorne Ave., a two-lane road in Rancho Palos Verdes. Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Woods was driving at a “relatively greater speed than normal” when his vehicle crossed onto the wrong side of the road before veering off the road entirely and onto a hillside. A neighbor called 911 to alert authorities of the accident, and Woods was conscious when they arrived on the scene.
Personnel from the LACSD said the interior of the vehicle Woods was driving remained intact—and that, combined with the fact that Woods was wearing a seatbelt, allowed him to escape what “otherwise would have been a fatal crash,” according to Villanueva. There was no evidence of impairment, according to the sheriff’s department, and Woods was reportedly calm and lucid when authorities arrived at the scene.
Woods’ longtime agent, Mark Steinberg, released the following statement after the initial report of the crash, which occurred about 30 miles west of where Tiger grew up in Cypress: “Tiger Woods was in a single-car accident this morning in California where he suffered multiple leg injuries. He is currently in surgery and we thank you for your privacy and support.” As of Tuesday evening, there was no update on the specifics of Tiger’s injuries or what the surgery entailed.
Woods, 45, was in California for a two-day content shoot with Golf Digest/GOLFTV after serving as host for the Genesis Invitational, which finished on Sunday. 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 from the back procedure he had just a few months ago, he did not hit balls or play any holes. The shoot involved Woods giving on-course lessons to a number of celebrities, but he mostly provided instruction and hit a few putts. He was in good spirits on Monday but did not arrive to the course for the second day of shooting.Discovery Golf, parent company of Golf Digest and GOLFTV, issued the following statement: “Tiger has a long-term partnership with Discovery developing exclusive content for GOLFTV and Golf Digest. He was filming his latest series with us yesterday, which will see him giving on-course instruction to a number of celebrities including Jada Pinkett Smith, Dwyane Wade and David Spade. He was due to continue filming with us today.“Everyone at Discovery and Golf Digest wishes Tiger a speedy recovery and our thoughts are with him, his family and his team at this time.” On Sunday, Woods told CBS’ Jim Nantz that he was awaiting the results of an upcoming MRI before he could ramp up practicing and training for a return to competition. News of the hospitalization of one of sports’ biggest stars triggered an outpouring of support for Woods on social media and led to extensive coverage on news networks.
Sending my prayers to @TigerWoods and his family tonight—here’s to a speedy recovery for the GOAT of golf. If we’ve learned anything over the years, it’s to never count Tiger out.
This is the latest in a long history of injuries for Woods, a 15-time major champion and 82-time PGA Tour winner. He last competed alongside his son at the PNC Championship, which wrapped up on Dec. 20 in Orlando. He then underwent a microdiscectomy procedure to remove a pressurized disc fragment that was pinching a nerve. It was his fifth back surgery overall and the first since his spinal fusion in April 2017.
