Golfer Tiger Woods was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital on Tuesday after suffering multiple injuries when his car went off a road and rolled over, requiring the jaws of life to extricate him.
Woods, 45, was the sole occupant in the sport utility vehicle when it crashed at about 7:12 a.m. near the suburban communities of Rolling Hills Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a written statement.
“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,” Woods’ agent, Daniel Rapaport, said in a statement given to Golf Digest.
Video images of the scene showed the black sport utility vehicle resting on its side some 30 feet off the roadway, its front end badly damaged and surrounded by debris. The jaws of life refers to tools used to pry open vehicles involved in accidents when a victim may be trapped.
Woods, considered one of the greatest athletes in the history of his sport, had hosted the annual Genesis Invitational at the Riviera Country Club over the weekend.
He did not compete in the tournament, citing ongoing issues with his surgically-repaired back.
Woods has held the top spot in professional golf’s world rankings for a record total of 683 weeks, winning 14 major championship titles between 1997 and 2008.
After a series of injuries and personal issues derailed his career at times, Woods claimed his 15th major title at the Masters in 2019, his fifth time earning the coveted green jacket given to Masters champions.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll and Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Bill Berkrot)