Tiger Woods crashed his Genesis Open courtesy car in Rancho Palos Verdes today about 7:12 AM, crossing over southbound lanes and skidding off an embankment driving northbound on Hawthorne Blvd and Blackhorse Rd, driving at high speeds trying to make a 7:30 AM appointment at Riviera Country Club, in Pacific Palisades, about 30 miles north but in heavy Los Angeles traffic. Woods spent the night a Trump International Hotel and Golf course overlooking the beautiful Pacific Ocean with a clear view of Catalina Island. Whatever Tiger was doing at Trump National is anyone’s guess but one thing’s for sure, he was late for a very important date. A member of a production crew for the show “Grown-ish” observed Tiger “agitated,” blocked by another guest’s car while unloading luggage, then speeding off to meet NFL quarterback Drew Brees back at Riviera for a golf lesson.
Trump National sits on picturesque summit, elevated some 1,500 feet above sea level. By anyone’s guess, it’s a long way down a fairly steep, windy road to get to the heavily congested flats in Torrance’s business district, where three miles of signals prevent a quick trip to Interstate 405, traveling northbound to Sunset Blvd. in Brentwood, to make his way another three miles West to Riviera Country Club where Tiger was due to give Brees a golf lesson. In the most optimistic circumstances it would have taken Tiger at least 45 minutes but more likely an hour to get from Trump International to Riviera. So when Tiger took off at around 7:05 from Trump International, he had the pedal-to-the-metal, hoping he wouldn’t be too late for his appointment. Not knowing the terrain, Tiger had no way of knowing the potential fatal hazard speeding down windy Hawthorne Blvd.
Fortunately for Tiger, an observant neighbor near the crash site called 911, bringing paramedics to the hillside area where Tiger was trapped in his mangled car before Fire Department paramedics arrived at 7:20 AM at the scene, removing Tiger from his vehicle, placing him on a gurney and rushing him to the closest Level 1 trauma center at Harbor-UCLA where he was operated on for multiple leg injuries. Sheriff Deputy Carlos Gonzalez confirmed that the area Tiger crashed was the scene of multiple accidents over the years, some fatal. Gonzalez said Tiger appeared alert once extricated from the vehicle but was unable to stand, before paramedics loaded him on the ambulance to UCLA-Harbor Medical Center. Tiger’s agent Mark Steinberg confirmed that Tiger received multiple leg injuries and was in surgery. Sheriff’s officials did not say whether Tiger received a toxicology screening.
Based on Gonzalez’s report, it’s clear Tiger was speeding in the Hyundai Genesis to make his golf date with Drew Breeze some 30 miles north of PV. Gonzalez confirmed that Tiger didn’t see the hazardous stretch of road where he lost control, skidding off the embankment landing flipped on his side. Gonzalez speculated that had Tiger not worn his safety restraint he would have perished in the crash. “The vehicle was traveling northbound on Hawthorne Blvd. at Blackhorse Rd., when it crashed. The vehicle sustained major damage,” Gozalez said. On. February 23, 2021, at approximately 7:12 AM, Los Angeles Sheriff Department responded to a single vehicle roll-over traffic collision on the border of Rolling Hills Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes,” confirming the date and time of the crash. Sheriff Gonzalez said there was no reason to suspect driving under the influence.
Los Angeles County Sheriff, that has jurisdiction in non-incorporated areas of Los Angeles County, responded to the crash. “The driver and sole occupant was identified as PGA golfer, Eldrick “Tiger” Woods,” the Sheriff Department confirmed. “Mr. Woods was extricated from the wreck with the ‘jaws of life’ by Los Angeles County Firefighters and paramedics, then transported to a local hospital by ambulance for his injuries,” said the Sheriff Department press release, later, correcting, that the “jaws of life” were not used by firefighters and paramedics to remove Tiger from the wreckage. While no knows why Tiger stayed at Trump National in PV, it’s clear that he let time slip away from him. Why he drove himself was also not known. What’s clear from all sheriff accounts, Tiger was speeding down a treacherous part of Hawthorne Blvd., and for whatever reason, lost control of his vehicle.
Recovering from his fifth back surgery, Tiger still managed to show up at his Genesis Open golf tournament to award the trophy to 30-year-old, former Cal Berkeley golfer, Burbank resident Max Homa. Tiger’s has had a history of car incidents, crashing his Cadillac SU in 2009 near his home in Florida, exposing a tabloid scandal about his multiple affairs, something that ended the six-year marriage to Elin Nordregen at a cost of $100 million. Tiger’s divorce was one of the costliest in U.S. history until McKenzie Bezos shattered the amount at $38 billion. Since Tiger’s divorce Aug. 23, 2010, Tiger fell from the pinnacle of Golf royalty to an otherwise mediocre golfer, plagued with back and knee injuries, returning to his past glory winning the 2019 Masters at age 43. With his fifth back surgery and potentially career-ending leg injuries, it’s doubtful the PGA tour will see Tiger return anytime soon.
