Professional golfer Tiger Woods was involved in a single-car rollover crash on Tuesday, reportedly suffering multiple fractures in his leg. The golf world reacted to the news by expressing hope that he would make a full recovery. Tony Finau, in particular, spoke about the impact that Woods made on his life and career.
“He means a lot to the game of golf,” Finau said about Woods on Tuesday. “I can only speak from my experience. He means a lot to my career. I said it — time after time — the ’97 Masters changed the course of my life, changed the course of my career. Without that event, I probably wouldn’t be here. I probably wouldn’t be playing golf.”
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Tony Finau speaks to the significant impact Tiger Woods has on his career. pic.twitter.com/lE1ihpf8Qt
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) February 23, 2021
Finau continued and said that he is probably “one of the hundreds” of guys that would say the same thing about Woods. He said that the five-time Masters champion means a lot to the sport of golf. He also said that Woods means just as much to all of the athletes individually.
This impact was noticeable as the various professional golfers spoke about Woods in the aftermath of the accident. Several said that they wanted Woods to recover quickly. Justin Thomas, in particular, held back tears while talking about the accident. Thomas, who competed with Woods during the PNC Championship, said that it hurts to see his “closest friend” get in an accident. He also said he was worried for Woods’ children.
“We have been made aware of Tiger Woods‘ car accident today. We are awaiting further information when he comes out of surgery. On behalf of the PGA TOUR and our players, Tiger is in our prayers and will have our full support as he recovers,” PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva held a press conference on Tuesday and provided further details about the incident. He said that there was no indication that Woods attempted to slow his Hyundai Genesis SUV before the incident. Villanueva explained that the first contact was with the center median before crossing into the opposing lane of traffic.
“At the time it [Woods’ SUV] crossed the center divider, to the point that it rested, was several hundred feet away, so obviously that indicates they were going at a relatively greater speed than normal,” Villanueva said, per CNN. “Because it is downhill, it slopes, and also it curves. That area has a high frequency of accidents. It’s not uncommon.”
