Tiger Woods is “awake, responsive and recovering in his hospital room,” after having a rod put into his leg during surgery following a rollover car crash in the Los Angeles area, his team said in a statement tweeted to his account Tuesday night.
Woods, 45, “suffered significant orthopaedic injuries to his right lower extremity” that were treated in emergency surgery, Anish Mahajan, chief medical officer and interim CEO at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center said in the statement.
The rod was inserted into his tibia to stabilize fractures, and screws and pins were used to stabilize injuries to the foot and ankle, according to the statement.
Woods’ Genesis GV80 crashed at 7:12 a.m. PST on the border of Rolling Hills Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said earlier Tuesday.
He was conscious and in stable condition when he was removed from the car, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby said earlier Tuesday at a news conference.
Tuesday night’s statement, which was signed by TGR — the organization founded by Woods, said the athlete underwent a long surgical procedure to his lower right leg and ankle.
“We thank everyone for the overwhelming support and messages during this tough time,” the statement read.
Rancho Palos Verdes is in the Los Angeles area but technically outside of the city, south of Torrance and west of Long Beach.
The cause of Tuesday’s crash is under investigation, Sheriff Alex Villanueva said.
Deputies did not see any signs of impairment when they arrived at the scene, Villanueva said.
The sheriff did say accidents in that area are not uncommon because of the downhill slopes and curves on the road. Woods was the only person in the sport-utility vehicle. He was wearing a seatbelt, one of the first deputies at the scene said.
Woods is considered one of the greatest golfers in the sport’s history. His 82 tournament wins is tied for most in a career with Sam Snead, and his 15 majors is second only to Jack Nicklaus.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
