Golfers Wear Red & Black, Pay Tribute To Injured Tiger Woods

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CA — Tiger Woods thanked fans and supporters on Twitter on Sunday, saying he was touched as golfers wore red and black to honor the PGA legend.

Woods is recovering at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after undergoing surgery on his right leg and ankle, which were badly injured during a single-vehicle rollover crash last week in Rancho Palos Verdes near Hawthorne Boulevard and Blackhorse Road.

He thanked colleagues and fans for their kindness via Twitter:

"It is hard to explain how touching today was when I turned on the tv and saw all the red shirts," Woods tweeted. "To every golfer and every fan, you are truly helping me get through this tough time."

It is hard to explain how touching today was when I turned on the tv and saw all the red shirts. To every golfer and every fan, you are truly helping me get through this tough time.
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) March 1, 2021

A statement posted to his Twitter account Friday read, "The procedures were successful, and he is now recovering and in good spirits," but no details about the procedures were released.

"Tiger and his family want to thank you all for the wonderful support and messages they have received over the past few days. We will not have any further updates at this time."

Woods was alone in the vehicle when it crashed into a raised median and a "Welcome To Rolling Hills Estates" sign, crossed two oncoming lanes and rolled over several times. Woods was trapped inside the wreckage, which was reported around 7:12 a.m., officials from Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said. Firefighters used an ax and pry bar to pull him out through the windshield.

Woods was rushed to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center Tuesday but is now recovering at Cedars-Sinai.

According to Dr. Anish Mahajan, interim CEO and chief medical officer at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Woods had "comminuted open" fractures — meaning there were multiple breaks that left the bone exposed to open air — in the upper and lower portion of "both the upper and lower portions of the tibia and fibula."

The fractures were stabilized by "inserting a rod into the tibia," Mahajan said. "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."

He was moved to Cedars-Sinai "for continuing orthopedic care and recovery," Mahajan said.

The first deputy on the scene, Deputy Carlos Gonzalez, said Woods was conscious and lucid, still strapped in his seat belt in the driver's seat.

The speed limit in the area is 45 mph, but Gonzalez said he has seen motorists traveling at 80 mph in the stretch.

RELATED: Road Where Woods Crashed A Problem Spot For Locals, Deputies Say

Villaneuva said the area where the crash occurred has been the scene of 13 accidents — four involving injuries — since January of last year. Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn on Wednesday directed the county Public Works officials to conduct a safety review of the roadway to see if any improvements can be made.

While the investigation into the crash continues, Villanueva said Woods won't be facing any criminal charges.

"We don't contemplate any charges whatsoever in this crash," Villanueva said Wednesday. "This remains an accident. An accident is not a crime. They do happen, unfortunately."

Villaneuva reiterated that there are no indications Woods was impaired in any way, saying, "He was lucid, there was no odor of alcohol, no evidence of any medication, narcotics or anything like that, that would bring that into question."

The sheriff said there are also no indications that would suggest a reckless driving charge.

"This is purely an accident," he said. "There'll be a cause of it, and there will be a vehicle code attached to the cause — if it's inattentive driving, whatever the case may be. But that's an infraction, and reckless driving is actually more than an infraction. That's a misdemeanor crime that has a lot of elements attached to it, and there's nothing like that."

The heavily damaged SUV was a courtesy car from the Genesis Invitational golf tournament. Woods hosted last weekend at The Riviera Country Club.

The SUV was taken to an impound yard in Lomita for further investigation. Investigators were expected to pull a "black box" from the vehicle in hopes of gaining information about conditions at the time of the crash, including how fast Woods was driving.

There was no information on whether Woods was distracted, possibly by a cell phone.

"We do not have any information on that whatsoever," Villanueva said last week. "We'll find out on that. I'm sure his phone records might be relevant to that. And that's going to be up to the investigators, and they would require a search warrant for that."

Following Sunday's conclusion of the Genesis Invitational, Woods had remained in the Southland to participate in a two-day promotional shoot with Golf Digest and Golf TV at Rolling Hills Country Club, where he was believed to be heading Tuesday morning for another day of filming.

The road is considered a traffic problem area for locals, Gonzalez said. Neighbors reported the crash, he said.

Woods was found bleeding but conscious, Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Daryl Osby said.

ESPN reported Woods was scheduled to film Tuesday with New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. Woods was photographed at the course Monday with retired NBA star Dwyane Wade and comedian David Spade.

Woods, a Cypress native who has battled back issues in recent years, last competed in a golf tournament on Dec. 20, at the PNC Championship in Orlando. He subsequently had surgery to remove a pressurized disc fragment that was pinching a nerve, his first surgery since undergoing a spinal fusion in April 2017.

Woods came back from that operation to win the 2019 Masters, his 15th major title, second only to Jack Nicklaus' 18.

It's unclear if Woods will recover from the severe leg injuries in the crash and if he will return to golf.

Last week, Woods told CBS' Jim Nantz that he was scheduled to have an MRI and would await the results to determine when he could begin training for a return to competition.

Woods has been involved had two other high-profile auto incidents. In November 2009, he crashed his SUV into a fire hydrant outside his Florida home and suffered minor injuries. In 2017, he was found asleep in a vehicle in Jupiter, Florida, and was found to have multiple painkillers and sleeping aids in his system. He subsequently entered a diversion program.

- City News Service and Patch Editor Nicole Charky contributed to this report.