He suffered serious leg injuries and was trapped, but conscious, when emergency crews arrived at the scene of his rollover accident on a stretch of the California highway known for speeding and accidents, officials said on Tuesday.
“He’s not Superman … He’s a human being at the end of the day,” four-time champion Rory McIlroy told reporters ahead of the WGC-Workday Championship that starts on Thursday. “And he has been through so much.
“At this stage, I think everyone should be grateful that he is here, that he is alive, that his children have not lost their father. That is the most important thing. Golf is so far from the equation now, it is not even on the map at this point. . “
Shortly after the accident, Los Angeles County sheriff Alex Villanueva told CNN’s Erin Burnett that the single car accident was “purely an accident” and investigators will not bring any charges.
He also said that Woods told investigators on Tuesday at a hospital that “he did not remember the accident”.
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan emphasized that while he would love to see Woods on the golf course in the future, thoughts should be with his family.
“Tiger is a human being. Tiger has had some very difficult injuries – the most important thing, you know, is his well-being. It’s Tiger recovering, he’s supporting Tiger’s family. Golf – when Tiger wants to talk about golf, we’ll talk about golf. All the energy will now be applied to support you in the coming days and months. “
Given the terrible nature of the accident, former world No. 1 Jon Rahm said he is grateful that Woods is alive.
“Just over a year ago, we lost Kobe Bryant out of the blue, and I’m at least grateful that Tiger is still here. I hope he gets out of this,” the 26-year-old told the media.
“I hope his body is still fine. I don’t necessarily need to see him on a golf course again. I would love to, but I just hope that he can live a normal life from now on. He gave everything for this game, he did so much for us, and every day that we are all here will be a memory of Tiger Woods.
“Fortunately, he has such an impact on this world that even if he doesn’t hit a golf swing, with his base and many other jobs, he is still capable of making a big impact on this world.”
Dustin Johnson added, “He’s a big part of the PGA Tour and what it has become today, so, yeah, I mean, when he’s not playing anymore, definitely, you know, the game is going to miss him, but I feel like he will always be around and somehow get involved in the game. “