Woods is recovering after emergency surgery

Pro golfer Tiger Woods is recovering from surgery for serious leg injuries following a single-vehicle rolling crash in Los Angeles. Woods was driving around 7 a.m. in Rancho Palos Verdes on a stretch of California road known for accidents and speeding.

Latest on Tiger Woods: His injuries included a shattered ankle and two leg fractures, one of which was compound, according to a source familiar with his treatment. "Lucky to be alive," the L.A. County sheriff says. From @latimes team covering the crash: https://t.co/3sZTsNMmML

— Daniel Miller (@DanielNMiller) February 23, 2021

Woods was driving a courtesy tournament Genesis SUV that crossed a median going across two lanes before hitting a curb, hitting a tree, and landing on its side in the brush off the roadway. Emergency responders had to deploy the jaws of life and an ax to get Woods out of the damaged vehicle with reports the golfer acted “lucid and calm” but was unable to stand on his own.

BREAKING: Tiger Woods transported to hospital with injuries following vehicle crash with "major damage," LA County Sheriff's Dept. says. pic.twitter.com/hxcGYAig8D

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) February 23, 2021

The exterior of the Genesis SUV was completely damaged but interior safety featured including airbags and seatbelts helped Woods service the rollover crash. The sheriff investigating the crash assumes Woods was traveling at a high rate of speed towards a curvy section of the downhill road with no indications of breaking such as skid marks.

Deputies responding on the scene of the crash saw no evidence of Woods being impaired with no field sobriety test administered due to the seriousness of Woods’ injuries and didn’t request a blood draw from the hospital. Woods’ representatives released a statement saying, “He has undergone a long surgical procedure on his lower right leg and ankle… suffered significant orthopedic injuries to his right lower extremity that were treated with emergency surgery by Orthopaedic trauma specialists.”

pic.twitter.com/vZitnFV0YA

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) February 24, 2021

The Chief Medical Officer at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Anish Mahajan MD, explains they treated open fractures affecting both the upper and lower portions of the tibia and fibula bones that were stabilized with a rod inserted in the tibia. Additional injuries to the bones of the foot and ankle were stabilized with a combination of pins and screws.

Woods will also require additional treatment for trauma of the muscle and soft-tissue of the leg required the surgical release of the covering of the muscles to relieve pressure due to swelling. The hospital confirms Woods is awake and responsive while recovering in his room while he is also recovering from recent back surgery.

Woods was experiencing discomfort following his performance at the PNC Championship in December leading to undergoing a microdiscectomy surgery to remove a pressurized disc fragment pinching a nerve. This is the fifth back surgery since his first spinal fusion in 2017 and announced he would be taking a break from playing this year including missing out on The Masters.