Tiger Woods Recovering From Lengthy Surgery To Repair ‘Significant’ Injuries To Right Leg

TIGER WOODS cheated death after ploughing off a road in a high-speed car smash that left him with serious injuries in both legs.

The golf superstar, 45, had emergency surgery last night after firefighters cut him conscious from the wreckage of a 4×4 in Rancho Palos Verdes, near Los Angeles.

The 15-time major winner cheated death as the life-saving airbags deployed in his Geneis courtesy car after it careered off the road at high speed and flipped several times just after 7am local time, LA officials said.

He was rushed to hospital and had surgery on multiple injuries to his right leg and ankle – as footage showed his crumpled Genesis GV80 lying on its side.

Doctors said he suffered ‘comminuted’ fractures in the upper and lower parts of the tibia and fibula – meaning the breaks had led to bone splintering.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said the golfing star was “lucky to be alive.”

Sheriff’s deputy Carlos Gonzalez, who was first on the scene, said Woods, still wearing his seatbelt, was “calm and lucid” when he spoke to him.

A statement on the golf star’s Twitter account this morning said he was “awake, responsive and recovering in his hospital room” after emergency surgery on his lower right leg and ankle.

‘AWAKE AND RECOVERING’
In a statement posted on Twitter, a spokesman for the golfer said: “Tiger was involved in a single car accident earlier this morning in California.

“He has undergone a long surgical procedure on the lower right leg and ankle after being brought to the hospital.”

Anish Mahajan, Chief Medical Officer at Harbor-UCLA Medical Centre, said: “Mr Woods suffered significant orthopaedic injuries to his right lower extremity that were treated during emergency surgery by orthopaedic trauma specialists at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, a level 1 trauma center.

“Comminuted open fractures affecting the upper and lower of the tibia and fibula bones were stabilised by inserting a rod into the tibia.

“Additional injuries to the bones of the foot and ankle were stabilised with a combination of screws and pins.”

The star’s girlfriend Erica Herman was understood to be at the hospital where he was undergoing surgery.

The golf star had been driving downhill and overturned in shrubs before being pulled from his car’s windshield.

Woods almost smashed into a TV director’s car as he left an LA resort moments before his horror rollover crash on Tuesday, The Sun can reveal.

The golf legend was staying at the plush Terreana resort where crew for the show ‘Grown-ish’ were based for filming.

A crew member said staffers were left shaken after Woods nearly hit the car being driven by the show’s director as he left the resort.

Cops said Woods’s seat belt and air bags saved his life as the car crossed a central reservation, ploughed up an embankment and rolled over several times.

Sheriff Gonzalez said he spoke to Woods to keep him calm before he was cut from his badly damaged car.

He said: “When I arrived on the scene Mr Woods was in the driver’s seat.

“He was able to speak to me. He seemed calm and lucid. I kept Mr Woods calm until LA County fire department arrived on the scene.

“He told me his name was Tiger, and at that point I immediately recognised him.

“He seemed lucid and calm.

“He didn’t seem concerned about his injuries, which is common in car accidents. They may be in shock, and pain not felt until later.”

Gonzalez added: “He was injured. And he was successfully removed and taken to the hospital.”

Police did not breathalyse the golf star at the scene.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said the front end of the vehicle was “totally destroyed” and the car’s airbags had inflated on impact.

He said: “The interior was more or less intact, which gave him the cushion to survive, otherwise it would have been a fatal crash.

“He is lucky to be alive.”

Dad of two Woods was conscious “he was not able to get up, no, that was not an option,” Villanueva added.

Cops were scrambled to the scene after an emergency call from AM from a neighbour who heard the crash.

Fire Chief Daryl Osby said a pry bar and axe were used to rescue Woods from the smashed motor.

He said Woods “was able to communicate and he was conscious, I’ll leave it at that.”

Woods was the only person in the car – loaned to him by a golf tournament sponsor – when he sped off the road on a bend just after 7am local time.

He was on his way to play golf with NFL stars Drew Brees and Justin Herbert when he crashed, according to the New York Post.

An LA County Sheriff’s Department source told TMZ they did not believe alcohol was involved – but did not speculate on any other substances.

Mark Steinberg, the golfer’s agent, said: “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.”

Tiger was arrested in May 2017 near his Jupiter Island, Florida, for driving under the influence of prescription drugs.

He was asleep in his car, which was stationary in a traffic lane with its engine running.

A mugshot showed a wide-eyed Woods staring blankly at the camera.

He later claimed he had taken prescription drugs and did not realise how they might interact together – pleading guilty to reckless driving.

The former World Number One golfer received a year of probation, was fined around £180 ($250), and ordered to undergo 50 hours of community service along with regular drug tests.