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Tiger Woods taken to hospital with 'multiple leg injuries' after being extricated from car crash

February 24, 2021

Golfing great Tiger Woods has been taken to hospital in Los Angeles, California after being involved in a serious car crash.

LA County Sheriffs said in a statement this morning Woods was involved in a "single vehicle roll-over traffic collision" at approximately 4am NZT and his vehicle had sustained "major damage".

"The driver and sole occupant was identified as PGA golfer, Eldrick 'Tiger' Woods," the Sheriffs said in a statement.

"Mr Woods was extricated from the wreck with the 'jaws of life' by Los Angeles County firefighters and paramedics, then transported to a local hospital by ambulance for his injuries."

At a press conference this afternoon, US emergency services clarified the "jaws of life" weren't actually used in Woods' extrication but an axe was.

Authorities also said there's no immediate evidence that Woods was impaired at the time of the crash, which happened in California at Rolling Hills Estates.

They added Woods was in a serious but stable condition.

Woods' Agent Mark Steinberg said in a statement he is currently being operated on.

"Tiger Woods was in a single-car accident this morning in California where he suffered multiple leg injuries," Steinberg said.

"He is currently in surgery and we thank you for your privacy and support."

Woods was in Los Angeles over the weekend as the tournament host of the Genesis Invitational at Riviera, where he presented the trophy. He was to spend Monday and Tuesday filming with Discovery-owned GOLFTV, with whom he has an endorsement contract. A tweet Monday showed him in a cart smiling with comedian David Spade.

According to Golf Digest, also owned by Discovery, the TV shoot was on-course lessons to celebrities, such as Spade and Dwyane Wade. He did not play.

The 15-time major champion last played December 20 in the PNC Championship with his 11-year-old son, Charlie.

He had a fifth surgery on his back, a microdiscectomy, two days before Christmas and gave no indication when he would return. The Masters is April 8-11 and when asked if he would be there during the CBS telecast, Woods replied, “God, I hope so.”

This is the third time Woods has been involved in a car investigation. The most notorious was the early morning after Thanksgiving in 2009, when his SUV ran over a fire hydrant and hit a tree.

That was the start of shocking revelations that he had been cheating on his wife with multiple women. Woods lost major corporate sponsorship, went to a rehabilitation clinic in Mississippi and did not return to golf for five months.

In May 2017, Florida police found him asleep behind the wheel of a car parked awkwardly on the side of the road. He was arrested on a DUI charge and said later he had an unexpected reaction to prescription medicine his back pain.

Woods later pleaded guilty to reckless driving and checked into a clinic to get help with prescription medication and a sleep disorder.

- Additional reporting by Associated Press

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