24 February 2021
Tiger Woods had a medical operation on Tuesday to repair serious damage to his right leg after a violent car crash.
Woods was driving on a twisting, downhill road south of Los Angeles, California, when he lost control of his car. The accident happened earlier on Tuesday.
Woods' car hit a sign and then rolled over many times.
Rescue workers used tools to remove him from the car.
Woods is one of the greatest golfers of all time. The 45-year-old has won 15 major championships. He most recently won The Masters in 2019 after recovering from a back injury.
Anish Mahajan is the Chief Medical Officer at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where Woods had his operation. He said Woods suffered broken bones in his right leg and required a rod to repair the damage. Additional injuries in his ankle and foot were repaired using screws and pins. Doctors also performed surgery on his leg muscles to reduce swelling from the accident.
Woods was on his way to an event where he was to teach golf to famous people.
Just last weekend, Woods was asked whether he might be able to play in this year's Masters tournament after having back surgery in December.
Now the question people are asking is whether he will ever be able to play the sport again.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said the area of road where Woods crashed is dangerous. People are often seen driving faster than the speed limit.
Carlos Gonzalez is with the sheriff's department. He reached Woods after the crash and was not able to help him out of the car. He waited for the fire department to come with their tools.
"I will say it's very fortunate Mr. Woods was able to come out of this alive," he said.
Many people wished Woods well in his recovery, including other golfers, politicians and sports stars.
Golfer Jon Rahm said: "I just hope he can get out of the hospital after recovery and he can still play with his kids and have a normal life."
Former U.S. Presidents Donald Trump and Barack Obama have both played golf with Woods. Both wished him a fast recovery.
Obama wrote on Twitter: "If we've learned anything over the years, it's to never count Tiger out."
A statement was published on Woods' Twitter account that said: "He is currently awake, responsive and recovering in his hospital room."
The statement thanked the doctors, police and rescue workers who helped him on Tuesday.
Woods was involved in two other cases involving cars in his career. In 2017, police found him asleep behind the wheel of his car in Florida. Woods said he had a bad reaction to prescription medicine for back pain. He was arrested on the charge of driving a car while affected by drugs or alcohol.
In 2009, he ran over a fire hydrant and hit a tree after a fight with his former wife.
Police do not currently believe drugs or alcohol played a part in Tuesday's crash.
Woods last played golf in a tournament in December. He took part with his 11-year-old son, Charlie.
I'm Dan Friedell.
Stefanie Dazio and Doug Ferguson wrote this story for the Associated Press. Dan Friedell adapted it for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor.
Do you think Tiger Woods will be able to recover from his accident and play golf again? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and visit testbig.com.
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Words in This Story
surgery - n. medical treatment in which a doctor cuts into someone's body in order to repair or remove damaged or diseased parts
twisting - adj. used to describe something with curves and turns
championship - n. the title of champion in a sport or game
rod –n. a straight, thin stick or bar
screw - n. a screw is used to hold things together or to attach things. It is inserted into wood, metal, etc., by being turned.
body in order to repair or remove damaged or diseased parts
pin - n. a thin piece of metal that connects one thing to another
swelling - n. an area on someone's body that is larger than normal because of an illness or injury
sheriff - n. an elected official who is in charge of enforcing the law in a county or town of the U.S.