What we know about the accident, the condition of Tiger Woods and what will come after

Tiger Woods, a 15-time Major champion and PGA Tour leading (tied) tournament winner: 82, was seriously injured in a car accident in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Woods, 45, underwent several hours of emergency surgery to repair what doctors called "major orthopedic injuries" to his lower right leg and ankle.

Here is everything we know about the accident and Woods' condition as of Wednesday morning:

What is Tiger's condition after surgery?

In a statement posted to Tiger's Twitter account at 12:30 am ET on Wednesday, Dr. Anish Mahajan, Principal physician and acting executive director of Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, said Woods suffered comminuted open fractures, bones that were broken into more than two pieces and with breaks in the skin, on the upper and lower tibia and fibula of the leg. right leg.

Mahajan said surgeons placed a rod in the tibia of Woods' right leg and used a combination of screws and pins to stabilize the injuries to his foot and ankle. Mahajan said Woods also sustained muscle and soft tissue trauma in his right leg, which required surgeons to release "the covering of the muscles to relieve pressure due to swelling."

Mahajan's statement did not include details about Woods' left leg. In an earlier statement Tuesday, Woods' agent, Mark Steinberg, said he suffered "multiple leg injuries."

The statement said Woods was "awake, responsive and recovering" after several hours of surgery.

When and where did the accident occur?

Woods was involved in a car accident shortly after 10 a.m. ET Tuesday near the border of Rolling Hills Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes, about 30 miles south of downtown Los Angeles. Woods was the sole occupant of a 2021 Genesis GV80 SUV at the time of the accident.

During a news conference Tuesday, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Woods was traveling north on Hawthorne Boulevard at a "relatively higher than normal speed" while descending a steep hill in an area that it has a "high frequency of accidents". He said there were no skid marks on the road and no sign that Woods was trying to brake.

According to Villanueva, Woods' vehicle struck the center divider, destroyed a wooden "Welcome to Rolling Hills Estates" sign and flipped over multiple times. After crossing the two southbound lanes, the truck struck a curb and a tree before coming to rest several hundred feet from the road. His vehicle narrowly missed hitting a utility pole.

Weather was not a factor, according to Villanueva, and authorities did not immediately know how fast Woods was driving when he crashed. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Carlos Gonzalez said he sometimes pulls over people driving well above the 45-mph speed limit, where signs warn truck drivers to use faster speeds. low due to steep slope.

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Villanueva said there was no immediate evidence that Woods was injured at the scene.

What was Woods' condition when authorities found him?

Gonzalez initially arrived at the scene to find Woods struggling to get out of his truck. He said Woods was wearing a seatbelt and was conscious and alert.

"I spoke to him. I asked him his name. He told me his name was Tiger and at that point I recognized him immediately," González said during the press conference. González said Woods was able to answer questions about what day it was and Where was it.

"Tiger was able to talk to me lucidly," Gonzalez said, adding that Woods seemed "incredibly calm," probably because he was in shock.

Due to damage to the front of the vehicle and the fact that the truck was lying on its side, first responders had to remove Woods from the car through the windshield. Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Daryl Osby said first responders used a crowbar and an ax to remove the windshield and haul Woods to safety.

Villanueva noted that the airbags deployed and the truck's cabin was still intact, giving Woods a "crash survival mattress." I live from this," said González.

Gonzales said Woods was unable to support himself, so first responders carried him on a backboard from the scene. Woods was alert enough to ask rescuers to call his manager to retrieve his golf clubs and luggage.

Villanueva said it would take officers "days to several weeks" to complete their investigation into the crash. They were retrieving video from traffic cameras to determine if another car or animal caused Woods' car to go off the road. Data can also be pulled from the car's computer system to determine how fast Woods was driving at the time of the accident.

Why was Woods in Los Angeles?

Woods made an appearance, but did not play over the weekend at the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades. His foundation helps organize and host the tournament.

Woods remained in the Los Angeles area to film shots and scenes for GolfTV, owned by Discovery, a broadcasting entity in which he is involved. In a statement, GolfTV said Woods was filming course instructions for a series.

On Monday, he worked with actor David Spade, former NBA player Dwyane Wade and actress Jada Pinkett Smith at Rolling Hills Country Club. Woods was scheduled to work with Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert and New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees in another session Tuesday. He was apparently heading to Rolling Hills Country Club from a nearby resort when he crashed.

Can Tiger recover from his injuries to return to the field?

It's too early to tell, but he certainly faces a long and arduous recovery from his injuries. She was already dealing with debilitating back injuries. On December 23, he underwent his fifth back procedure to relieve pain and discomfort.

During a television interview with CBS announcer Jim Nantz during the final round of the Genesis Invitational on Sunday, Woods said he hoped to play in the Masters in April. He is a five-time winner of the event, most recently in 2019.

"God, I hope so. I have to get there first," Woods said in the interview. "A lot of it is based on my surgeons, doctors and therapist and making sure I'm doing it right. This is the only backup I have; I don't have much more leeway left."

Woods' last official outing was at the 2020 Masters, which was played last November after being postponed from its typical April date due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He tied for 38th. Woods is ranked 50th in the world after playing just nine times during the 2020 season. In December, at his last public golf event, the PNC Championship, Woods played with his 12-year-old son. Charlie, before he had his last back surgery.