Tiger Woods is in recovery following a harrowing car crash in California on February 23,
2021. The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department confirmed in a statement on Twitter
that Woods was involved in a "single vehicle roll-over traffic collision,"
with People reporting that he had emergency surgery on his legs at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.
Deputy Carlos Gonzalez, the first officer on the scene, later told reporters in a
briefing that Woods "calm and lucid" as he waited for paramedics to arrive
in his vehicle, which had "sustained major damage." Gonzalez added that
the pro-golfer was lucky to have survived the crash. Gonzalez said,
"I've seen many collisions, the nature of his vehicle, and the fact that he was wearing a
seatbelt, I would say that it greatly increased the likelihood that it saved his life. It was
very fortunate that Mr. Woods was able to come out of this alive. I think this also kind of speaks to
the marvel of modern automobiles and they are much safer than they've ever been previously."
In a statement released on Tiger Woods official Twitter account,
Anish Mahajan - Chief Medical Officer at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where Woods was
treated - described his injuries and surgical procedures in detail. Mahajan confirmed,
"Mr. Woods suffered significant
orthopedic injuries to his right lower extremity that were treated
during emergency surgery by Orthopedic trauma specialists at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center."
The doctor went on to explain that the athlete suffered from,
"Comminuted open fractures affecting both the upper and lower portions of the tibia
and fibula bones were stabilized by inserting a rod into the tibia."
In layman’s terms, that means Tiger’s bones were shattered and broke through the skin.
In addition to his right leg fracture, Woods also suffered "additional injuries"
in his foot and ankle that were stabilized "with a combination of screws and pins,"
and "trauma to the muscle and soft-tissue of the leg required surgical release
of the covering of the muscles to relieve pressure due to swelling."
The statement concluded by saying that Woods is on the mend. Woods' team said in the statement,
"He is currently awake, responsive, and recovering in his hospital room. Thank
you to the wonderful doctors and hospital staff at Harbor UCLA Medical Center, the Los Angeles County
Sheriff's Department, and the Fire Department. Your support and assistance has been outstanding."
Of course, many want to know whether Tiger Woods will overcome his injuries and conquer the sport
once again. Woods' 2021 schedule had already been affected due to ongoing issues with his back.
According to Golf Digest, in January 2021, Woods
"Underwent a microdiscectomy procedure on his back
to remove a pressurized disc fragment that was pinching a nerve."
The Washington Post reported that the procedure caused Woods to "miss two events" on the PGA Tour,
but he was hopeful he'd make it back for a Masters return. Though Woods has made comebacks before,
he is reportedly unsure of what the future holds after his car accident. According to People,
Woods supposedly knows that the car accident has jeopardized his career and that he'll have to make
hard decisions about his future once his condition improves. An insider claimed to the outlet,
"He doesn't want his career to end like this.
So if there's any way at all that he can continue playing golf, he will."
The insider further claimed that Woods was "frustrated" at the setback. The insider said,
"He expected 2021 to be the year of his comeback.
Obviously, that's not going to happen now. And that's disappointing to him."
Tiger Woods beat the odds in 2019 when he won his fifth Masters title,
according to CNN and was dubbed as a "fairytale return" for the
golfer because of his injury-prone career. Woods said in the Green Jacket Ceremony,
"It's overwhelming just because of what has transpired. Last year I was very
lucky to be playing again. At the previous Champions Dinner I was really struggling
and missed a couple of years of not playing this great tournament and now I'm the champion.
Twenty two years between wins, it's a long time and it's unreal for me to experience this."
If Woods' persistence is anything to go by, he'll overcome his injuries sustained
in the car crash and try to become great again. The insider told People.
"This is a massive setback and he knows that it's a massive setback.
But he's overcome obstacles in the past and thinks he can do it again."