Sheriff of L.A. county Alex Villanueva on golf legend Tiger Woods, who is hospitalized in serious but stable condition after a rollover crash in a coastal city about 30 miles south of Los Angeles Tuesday morning.

“The interior was more or less intact, which kind of gave him the cushion to survive what otherwise would have been a fatal crash.”

“He suffered multiple leg injuries. He is currently in surgery.” Woods’ agent, Mark Steinberg.

Woods, the only person in the SUV, lost control while on rough terrain. The SUV crossed the center divider and rolled over “several times” before halting in the brush on a steep embankment, according to the L.A. County Sheriff.
Rescuers needed an ax and a special tool to pull him from the wreckage although a deputy sheriff said Woods was “calm” and “lucid” when help arrived.
Woods, 45, is also in the process of recovering from his multiple back surgeries, the most recent of which had already jeopardized his attendance in the upcoming Masters Tournament.
Why It Matters: The extent of his leg injuries and their impact on his golf career remains unknown at this point. Woods, a sports icon, held the top spot in professional golf’s world rankings for more than 680 weeks, with 14 championship titles between 1997 and 2008.

More background on the crash