LOS ANGELES (NEXSTAR) – Golf legend Tiger Woods thanked medical staff and supporters after returning home to recover from serious leg injuries he suffered after crashing an SUV in the Los Angeles suburbs nearly a month ago.
“Happy to report that I am back home and continuing my recovery. I am so grateful for the outpouring of support and encouragement that I have received over the past few weeks,” Woods said in a statement Tuesday. “Thank you to the incredible surgeons, doctors, nurses and staff at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. You have all taken such great care of me and I cannot thank you enough.
It’s not yet clear whether or not Woods, now 45-years-old, will be able to continue his Hall of Fame career after the single-vehicle wreck left him with a shattered tibia and fibula bones. Doctors used a combination of screws and pins to repair the damage.
Woods was driving a 2021 Geneses GV8o courtesy car loaned to him by the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club when the crash happened the morning of Feb. 23.
A man who lives in the area first found Woods inside the mangled SUV; he later told deputies that the golfing great lost consciousness as he tried to talk to him.
The first deputy, Carlos Gonzalez, arrived minutes later the morning of Feb. 23 and has said Woods appeared to be in shock but was conscious and able to answer basic questions. Woods suffered severe injuries to his right leg and cuts to his face.
Woods told deputies — both at the wreckage and later at the hospital — that he did not know how the crash occurred and didn’t remember driving, according to the affidavit.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva has said Woods was driving alone in good weather, there was no evidence of impairment, and the crash was “purely an accident.” However, depending on what is found on the data recorder, Woods could face a misdemeanor driving charge or a traffic citation.
Dr. Andre Campbell, a trauma surgeon at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, said it’s not unusual for patients in major vehicle crashes to lose consciousness or experience memory lapses.
“A lot of times people will tell you, ‘I don’t remember what happened,’ ” he said, adding the memory loss may never return.
“This is a credit to modern engineering, really, that he’s alive,” said Campbell, who is not involved in Woods’ treatment and spoke generally about trauma patients.
It was the 10th surgery of his career and came two months after a fifth back surgery. Through it all, Woods has never gone an entire year without playing, dating back to his first PGA Tour event as a 16-year-old in high school.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
