On the morning of February 23, 2021, Tiger Woods was rushing down Hawthorne Boulevard in his S.U.V when he lost control of the car, which then proceeded to flip over into the opposite lane and roll over multiple times before finally coming to a stop in a grassy region, in which it severely damaged the car. He was found a hundred feet from the road where he’d originally been driving on. Woods is extremely lucky to be alive, for he suffered numerous leg and foot injuries, and if not for his car’s advanced safety features and airbags, he might’ve died.

The celebrated golfer was running a bit late for a meeting with fellow celebrities and NFL stars Justin Herbert and Drew Brees, which explains why he was rushing on the road. Most pro golfers prefer to be driven around, which is also common with all professional and well-known athletes. Woods, though, is an exception. He prefers to drive himself around. Would this crash have occurred if he’d been being driven around, and not driving himself around? Who knows. He was speeding at an alarmingly high rate when he lost control of the car on Hawthorne Boulevard, and when medical personnel arrived at the scene, Woods was in a state of shock from the crash.

     When medical personnel arrived at the scene, they air-lifted Woods out of the car. He was then brought to the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where emergency surgery was performed on the multiple leg and foot injuries he sustained due to the crash. Fortunately, according to reports, Woods was awake and responsive following the surgery, and his long-time girlfriend, Erica Herman, was spotted visiting him at the hospital early Wednesday morning. 

    Woods is familiar with surgeries, injuries, and health-related setbacks, to say the least. He’s had five back surgeries as well as countless operations on both of his knees. But he’s obviously always come back to play golf at the highest level. The question is, will he be able to this time? Keep in mind, Woods is also already 45 years old. According to medical personnel, “it’s too early to tell” if he’ll ever be able to make a comeback, and “he’ll have to go through a long, slow and painful recovery before even thinking about playing golf professionally again.”

     The L.A. Sheriff’s Department stated that the crash was “purely an accident” and that Woods will not face charges. Whether he will ever play golf again, well, that question remains to be answered. He has received an outpouring of love and support from people all over the world, especially from the golf community. Woods’ golf future is “not even on the map at this point” according to fellow golf star and close friend Rory Mcllroy. Another fellow golfer, Xander Schauffele, also expressed relief that Woods is still alive, stating, “The big positive is that he’s alive.” On behalf of the Parks Panther Press, we all wish Tiger Woods a speedy and healthy recovery from his injuries.