Tiger Woods Says Professional Golfing Days Are Over After Crash

PALOS VERDES, CA — In his first exclusive interview since a rollover crash in Palos Verdes in February this year, Tiger Woods tells Golf Digest he is done with full-time golf.

Woods has opened up about what it was like to overcome serious injuries and recover following the serious crash.

“I think something that is realistic is playing the tour one day—never full time, ever again—but pick and choose, just like Mr. [Ben] Hogan did. Pick and choose a few events a year and you play around that,” Woods said during a Zoom interview with Golf Digest’s Henni Koyack from his South Florida home. “You practice around that, and you gear yourself up for that. I think that’s how I’m going to have to play it from now on. It’s an unfortunate reality, but it’s my reality. And I understand it, and I accept it.”

Woods was rushed to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center after the crash on Feb. 23 and suffered comminuted open fractures to both the tibia and the fibula in his right leg. He was later transferred to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Woods was alone in the vehicle when it crashed into a raised median, crossed two oncoming lanes and rolled over several times. He was trapped inside the vehicle.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officials released a report in April finding that speed was a main factor in the crash. He drove up to 87 miles per hour before crashing, struggling to negotiate the curve of the roadway, which is a problem area for local drivers.

No evidence of any impairment was found, according to authorities.

Woods and his team agreed to provide public information about the investigation. No citations were issued. Woods' phone was not checked for texting — no distracted driving was suggested. Authorities did not check for alcohol or drugs in his system at the crash site.

The SUV's data recorder showed that Woods could have hit the accelerator instead of the brake while he was driving, sheriff's Capt. James Powers of the Lomita Station said.

"The impact of the vehicle when it hit the tree caused the vehicle to go airborne and do a somewhat pirouette, landing on its side," Powers said.

Woods spent three months at home in a hospital-style bed, then moved to a wheelchair. After that, he moved to crutches to gain his mobility.

“Adding that part into my day-to-day life was so rewarding because I’d been stuck in a house. Granted, it’s a pretty nice house I’ve built for myself, but I hadn’t been able to do the one thing I love to do: I love to go outside and just be outside. Sometimes I just crutch and lay on the grass for an hour because I want to be outside. Missing the contact of a golf ball hit properly is one of the better feelings.”

Read the full story from Golf Digest.