(WXYZ) — Tiger Woods is awake and responsive while recovering from a significant leg injury after a crash on Tuesday morning in Southern California.
A statement released overnight from the official Tiger Woods social media accounts said that Woods underwent a long surgery on his lower right leg and ankle after the crash.
According to a doctor at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Woods suffered "significant orthopaedic injuries" that were treated during surgery.
"Comminuted open fractures affecting both the upper and lower portions of the tibia and fibula bones were stabilized by inserting a rod into the tibia," Anish Mahajan, the chief medical officer and interim CEO at Harbor-UCLA, said in a statement. "Additional injuries to the bones of the foot and ankle were stabilized with a combination of screws and pins. Trauma to the muscle and soft-tissue of the leg required surgical release of the covering of the muscles to relieve pressure due to swelling."
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) February 24, 2021
An open fracture, also known as a compound fracture, is where the bone breaks through the skin during an injury, while a comminuted fracture means the bone broke in more than two pieces.
It was first reported around 2 p.m. eastern time that Woods was in a single-vehicle rollover crash in Southern California around 10 a.m. eastern time, 7 a.m. pacific time.
Originally, it was reported that Woods was extricated from the vehicle with the jaws of life, but later, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby said that the pro golfer was removed out of the vehicle with an ax and pry bar by firefighters and paramedics before he was transported to an area hospital for his injuries.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva said that there were no signs of impairment in the single-car crash. Villanueva added that the area where Woods crashed often has accidents.
Woods has been recovering from his fifth back surgery and while he hasn’t played a tournament this year, the 45-year-old was in the L.A. area over the weekend for the Genesis Invitational, where he presented the trophy to winner Max Homa and spoke briefly on the broadcast.
