In the early morning of the 24th local time in the United States, golf legend Tiger Woods issued a statement on the social platform, expressing gratitude to the outside world for their concern. On the morning of the previous day, Woods had a car accident near Rolling Hills Estate in Los Angeles. With a comminuted fracture of his right leg, he was sent to the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center. After the operation, Woods has sober and regained consciousness, and is currently recovering.
Woods, 45, had previously experienced two vehicle-related accidents. Will this serious car accident end the brilliant and turbulent career of the 15 Grand Slam winner?
Consciousness when rescued
CNN quoted local police reports on the 24th that Woods had high-speed driving behavior before the accident. His vehicle slammed into the barrier in the middle of the road and rolled over after rushing out of the road. Rescue personnel opened the front windshield and used life tongs to rescue him. Woods was conscious when he was rescued. Although lucky to avoid death, Woods suffered multiple comminuted fractures in his leg. He then underwent long-term surgery on his right calf and ankle at the UCLA Medical Center. The doctor inserted steel nails to fix the upper and lower joints of his tibia and fibula. After Woods underwent surgery, Chief Medical Officer Anish Mahajan said that in addition to fixing the bones and joints, treatment will also be used to relieve Woods’ muscle and soft tissue swelling.
According to Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff Carlos Gonzalez, who first arrived at the scene of the Woods car accident, Woods was “very lucky” to survive due to the severe damage to the vehicle. He also added that the location where Woods was involved was a downhill slope, which has become an area with a high incidence of accidents because of the steep slope.
According to American “Golf Digest” reporter Daniel Rappaport, Woods should be driving to the golf course near Rolling Hills Estate to shoot TV shows. The filming time of the show was at 8 am local time, and the time of the car accident given by the Los Angeles police was about 7:15 am. The accident is still under investigation.
Trump and Obama send blessings
An avid golf enthusiast, Trump, who awarded Woods the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019, said in an interview with Fox News, “Woods has overcome the challenges caused by injuries in the past few years. His experience has been impressive. Unbelievable. There is no doubt that he will get better, and he will definitely return to the game. Woods is the guarantee of the ratings of golf tournaments, and very few people have this kind of appeal.” Another former US President Obama is socializing A blessing for Woods on the platform: “I wish the greatest athlete in golf history a quick recovery.”
Golf legend Jack Nicklaus said that we need to express our heartfelt support to Woods and pray for him at this difficult time, hoping that everything goes well for him. The 2020 U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau believes that the “resilient” Woods will be “Nirvana reborn” like Ben Hogan. Hogan suffered a serious car accident in 1949, but continues to be active with strong perseverance. On the field, and after being injured, he won 6 of the 9 important personal championships.
In addition, many celebrities including actress Jada Pinkett Smith and NBA star Johnson also sent their blessings to Woods. “He (Woods) is our hero,” said former Masters champion Adam Scott. “You think people like Woods and Kobe are out of reach, but they are not.” As the British “Guardian” golf reporter Ivan Murray said, “Unlike Kobe, Woods will live to tell his story.”
“Professional career may end here”
“This car accident may have a serious impact on Woods’ physical condition, and his legendary career may end here.” Agence France-Presse said. Woods, 45, is one of the most influential sports stars in the past 25 years, but he has always gotten into trouble in vehicle-related accidents. In 2009, Woods drove a car into a hedge. This car accident led to the accidental exposure of the scandal of his marital cheating. Woods finally divorced his wife Irene. After experiencing this scandal, Woods has been with Lindsay Vaughan and Erica Herman. In May 2017, Woods was arrested by the local police on suspicion of drunk driving near his home in the Jupiter area of Florida. His embarrassing portrait at the time of his arrest attracted worldwide attention.
On the court, Woods occupied the world’s first place for 683 weeks, and he was ranked 50th in this week’s latest world rankings. “As an African-American who has gained a reputation for golf, Woods has helped this sport create an era of huge endorsements and substantial profits, and the influence of golf has also expanded beyond whites, men, and the middle class.” Reuters said in a statement. When counting Woods’ career, he pointed out that in 1997, the 21-year-old Woods won the US Masters championship and won his first Grand Slam. In 2000, Woods won the U.S. Open, the British Open, and the PGA Championship. From June 2005 to October 2010, Woods occupied the world’s number one throne for a record 281 consecutive weeks. After 2015, injuries dragged down Woods’ record, and it was not until 2019 that he continued to write a great comeback story-winning the US Masters again after a lapse of 14 years. In 2020, Woods and his son Charlie teamed up to participate in the PNC Championship in Orlando from December 17th to 20th (Figure 1). This performance-based competition has also become the “last battle” before Woods’ car accident.
