TIGER WOODS GREAT FIRST ROUND AT MASTERS ... 14 Months After Car Crash

'My faithful rehab partner': Tiger Woods poses next to his dog in first photo of himself on crutches with his leg in a brace since horror car crash two months ago

Woods just wrapped up a very impressive first round in his return to the Masters -- shooting a 1-under 71.

Tiger looked like his normal self on the course, rarely making bad shots ... while sinking a bunch of big putts.

None, though, was bigger than the 30-or-so-footer he drained on #16 for birdie. After he drilled that putt, he gave a signature fist pump.

Tiger also dropped an F-bomb earlier in the day, but never lost his cool more than that -- and is now in a great position to make the weekend's cut.

Woods -- who, at the time of his first-round finish was in the top 10 on the leaderboard -- will tee off again on Friday afternoon for his second round.

Tiger Woods is officially back -- the golf legend just teed off at The Masters ... only 408 days after he nearly lost his leg in a car crash.

The 46-year-old hit his opening drive 264 yards in the fairway, just short of the bunker on the first hole at Augusta -- and his surgically repaired leg looks just fine.

Tiger is expected to finish all 18 holes of his first round in the next roughly three hours or so.

The sight is something most golf fans didn't expect to see again ... after Tiger mangled his left leg in a car wreck back in February 2021.

Woods required multiple procedures to fix the damage ... and things were so dire at the time, Tiger said doctors seriously considered amputating the limb.
Woods has worked tirelessly to get back to the course, though ... and said earlier this week that he believes he can legitimately win this weekend's event.
Tiger is playing with Louis Oosthuizen and Joaquin Niemann on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Masters favorite, Jon Rahm, is expected to tee off at around 11 a.m. PT.

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Tiger Woods Was Driving Nearly 90 mph When He Crashed SUV in February

• Woods, 45, shared his first photo since he was injured in a crash on February 23
• He poses smiling on his backyard practice course with faithful family dog Bugs
• The four-hole practice course is undergoing major renovations as he rehabs
• 'My course is coming along faster than I am,' Woods joked in an Instagram post

Tiger Wooda has shared his first photo following his devastating car crash in February, showing him smiling on crutches alongside one of his faithful dogs. 

The PGA legend posed outside his $40 million mansion in Jupiter, Florida on his four-hole backyard practice course, which is undergoing major renovations as he recovers from serious leg injuries.

'My course is coming along faster than I am,' he wrote on Instagram on Friday. 'But it’s nice to have a faithful rehab partner, man’s best friend.' 

Woods has two dogs at home, a Border Collie-Springer Spaniel mix named Bugs, who was seen in the photo, as well as an Australian Shepherd named Lola.  

Tiger Woods has shared his first photo following his devastating car crash in February, showing him smiling on crutches alongside his dog Bugs

Police estimate that Woods was driving as fast as 87mph in the 45mph zone when his SUV crossed the median and rolled down a hill

Woods, 45, is currently recovering in Florida after crashing an SUV in Los Angeles County on February 23 and shattering his right leg.  

No other vehicles were involved in the crash although Woods allegedly did swerve across several lanes of oncoming traffic before rolling the SUV down a hill. 

Police estimate that Woods was driving as fast as 87mph in the 45mph zone that day. But despite his speed, and the fact that he struck a raised median, Woods is not being charged for reckless driving.

According to police, there wasn't enough evidence to charge Woods, who didn't undergo sobriety testing, but is not believed to have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol in the early-morning crash.

'Reckless driving, you have to have multiple violations in conjunction with one another,' Los Angeles County Sheriff's Captain James Powers told the media on April 7. 'That did not exist here … and the speeding, there's no independent witnesses regarding the speeding.' 

Woods was knocked unconscious and suffered a gash to his jaw as well as 'bruised right and left rib cage, fractured right tibia and fibula, possible right ankle injury,' according to the crash report obtained by DailyMail.com.

Woods was knocked unconscious and his right leg was shattered in the horror crash

First responders noted that they saw Woods sitting in the driver's seat of the car with blood on his face and chin when they arrived. The legendary golfer was wearing his seatbelt and the airbag had deployed.

Woods was 'responsive and was able to speak,' a deputy noted in the report - but said he was 'acting in a manner consistent with someone suffering from shock.'

He also had cuts to the top-right side of his head, right eye and nose and right chin and jawline.

Woods told first responders that his right leg was 'in a lot of pain,' according to the crash report. When he was removed from the wreckage, first responders saw 'he had an open fracture mid-shaft on his right leg below the knee.'

Officials with the Los Angeles County Fire Department told investigators that Woods 'was somewhat combative when they were trying to treat him on scene.'

Woods was taken by ambulance to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and was given morphine and Zofran for the pain. He was later transferred to Cedars Sinai hospital before he was allowed to return home last month. 

WOODS THOUGHT HE WAS IN FLORIDA - NOT CALIFORNIA - AFTER HIS LA COUNTY WRECK 

Tiger Woods wasn't sure where he was when a sheriff's deputy interviewed him after his one-car crash in February, according to a 22-page report obtained by USA Today.

Woods was in Los Angeles for The Genesis Invitational and promotional appearances but told the deputy that he thought he was in Florida, where he makes his permanent residence.

The report details the conversation between deputy Kyle Sullivan and Woods, which took place at the hospital as Woods was receiving stitches for an injury to his face.

'I then asked (Woods) if he is able to tell me about what happened regarding the traffic collision,' Sullivan wrote. Woods 'told me he did not remember being involved in a traffic collision. (Woods) thought he was currently in the state of Florida.'

In this file photo a tow truck recovers the vehicle driven by golfer Tiger Woods in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, on February 23, 2021, after a rollover accident

Police say Woods was travelling at high speed when he hit a raised central reservation, smashed through a wooden road sign, splintered a tree and then rolled his SUV off the wrong side of the road where it came to rest at the bottom of an embankment

One of the pages of the 22-page police report describes how police found an empty pill bottle in a backpack in his car 

The report also revealed that Woods' blood pressure had fallen 'too low to administer any type of pain medication' in the immediate aftermath of the crash, which left the 82-time PGA Tour winner with serious injuries to his right leg.

It also confirmed that Woods was driving in a straight line when he should have attempted to navigate a curve while speeding on the morning of Feb. 23.

Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Wednesday at a press conference in downtown Los Angeles that there were no signs of impairment for Woods, who will not face any citations or charges for the crash on Feb. 23.

'The primary cause or factor for this traffic collision was driving at a speed unsafe for the road conditions and inability to negotiate the curve of the roadway,' Villanueva said.

Villanueva said Woods' Genesis SUV was traveling an estimated 84 to 87 mph on a stretch of road that has a speed limit of 45 mph.

Woods, 45, struck a raised median, crossed through two oncoming lanes and uprooted a tree before rolling over in Rolling Hills Estates, just outside of Los Angeles.

'Had (Woods) applied his brakes to reduce his speed or steered to correct the direction of travel, he would not have

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Wait! Tiger Woods DIDN’T Even Try to Decelerate Vehicle in Car Crash: Investigation

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has revealed the main cause of Tiger Woods’ car crash in February. 
Woods was driving 84-87 mph in a 45-mph zone when he crashed his SUV in Rolling Hills Estates, Calif., on Feb. 23. Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Woods also failed to maintain the curvature of the road. Woods likely accidentally pressed the gas pedal instead of the brake pedal before the crash, according to LASD Lomita Station Captain James Powers, per Insider. 
As EURweb previously reported, Woods never even hit the brakes as he careened off the road, and there’s no evidence he took his foot off the gas either.

The 45-year-old golf champ sustained serious injuries in the rollover crash. Per UPI.com, “Woods had multiple “open fractures” in his lower right leg and had a rod inserted into his tibia. He also had screws and pins put in his foot and ankle,” the outlet writes.

“We have contents of the black box,” Villanueva said. “Everything is completed, signed, sealed and delivered, but we can’t release it without the permission of the people involved in the collision.”

According to Powers, a sobriety test was not taken at the scene of the crash, and there was no evidence of intoxication. He also said Woods doesn’t remember the accident, Insider reports. 

In a statement, Woods said he will “continue to focus on my recovery and family.”

“I am so grateful to both of the good samaritans who came to assist me and called 911,” Woods said in a statement on Twitter. “I am also thankful to the LASD Deputies and LA Firefighter/Paramedics, especially LA Sheriff’s Deputy Carlos Gonzalez and LAFD Engine Co. #106 Fire Paramedics Smith and Gimenez, for helping me so expertly at the scene and getting me safely to the hospital.”

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Horrific injuries Tiger Woods suffered in horror car crash forcing surgeons to piece his right leg back together using rods and screws - so will he ever play golf again? Tiger Woods – car crashed & overturned

As the Tiger Woods car-crash investigation expands, it’s looking like the Woods never even hit the brakes as he careened off the road. On top of that, there’s no evidence he took his foot off the gas either.

Specifically, as far as the investigation is concerned, The Sheriff’s Dept. has been looking at the vehicle, an SUV, the crash site and many other pieces of evidence. They are also retrieving data from the SUV’s black box. So far, based on what investigators have pieced together, Woods didn’t even try to prevent the crash once he lost control of the vehicle last month.

Sources with direct knowledge say investigators have looked at various videos … from the hotel where he started the ill-fated drive to various surveillance cameras along the way.

We’re told before Tiger got to the scene of the crash he had been driving “normal” and not speeding, but the evidence indicates he accelerated and was speeding when he lost control.

As we reported, the Sheriff’s Dept. says Tiger told one of the first responders he had no recollection of the accident.

This all leads to the question — Could Tiger have lost consciousness just before the crash?

Tiger Woods’ crashed SUV

As a reminder, the LA County Sheriff said almost immediately after the crash there was no evidence of impaired driving and there was no evidence of alcohol. On the other hand, the Sheriff never attempted to get a warrant to draw blood in order to test for medications.

Woods was recovering from back surgery at the time of the crash, and had been hosting a golf tournament — he couldn’t play because of his back.

Woods suffered serious leg injuries. In fact, some reports say he broke both.He is also said to have suffered a “big gash” on his chin from the impact.  He’s also said to be recovering at his home in Florida.

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Tiger Woods is recovering in hospital today after shattering his right leg in a horror car crash in Los Angeles - leaving serious doubts over whether he will ever return to professional sport.
Surgeons say the 45-year-old suffered 'comminuted open fractures affecting both the upper and lower portions of the tibia and fibula bones' in the crash - meaning his shin and calf bones splintered into more than two pieces each and were left sticking through the skin.
Woods also sustained 'additional injuries to the bones of the foot and ankle', his doctors said, which had to be stabilized with screws and pins.

The leg itself is being held together with a metal rod that was inserted into his tibia bone, the doctors added, along with metal pins to hold everything in place.

Membranes around his muscles were also cut to help ease severe swelling caused by the impact with his doctors describing the injuries as 'serious'. 

While Anish Mahajan, who is overseeing Woods' care, was unable to say if he will play golf again, medical experts have warned the golf star might never regain full mobility and said he was just one hour away from having his leg amputated.

The horror crash comes just two days after Woods spoke of his hopes to be ready to compete in the first major of the year, The Masters, in Augusta in April.

The 15-time major winner has had a career filled with remarkable comebacks where he has defied the odds several times to compete again with the world's best players.

Woods was on his way back to playing after his fifth back surgery. But following Tuesday's crash, his chances of returning to the golf course are in serious jeopardy. 

Tiger Woods has shattered the bones in his lower right leg and damaged his ankle and foot in a horror car crash in LA, forcing surgeons to insert a metal rod, pins and screws to hold the limb together

Cops said the golfer was 'lucky to be alive' after he hit a raised central reservation while driving at high speed, smashed through a wooden street sign, splintered a tree, and then rolled his car several times

A straight line cut across the windscreen showed where first responders had sliced open the car to free Woods

Tiger Woods' team issued a statement on Twitter around 9:30pm local time in California on Tuesday night confirming he had been in surgery

The 15-time major winner has had a career filled with remarkable comebacks and was returning to the sport after back injuries but now faces his toughest road to recovery of all. Woods during the second round of The Memorial Tournament on July 17, 2020 at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio

Dr. John Torres, NBC News Senior Medical Correspondent, said the 'big concern was amputation' and that if Woods hadn't undergone emergency surgery within around an hour of the crash he could have lost his right leg. 

'When it comes to emergencies with leg injuries, what happens is the pressure starts building up because of swelling and that part of the leg and that builds up to such a high point that it cuts of circulation and causes nerve damage if it's not taken care of quickly,' Torres said on the Today show Wednesday.

'So what surgeons do is they go in and they basically release that pressure by opening up the muscle exposing it to the outside so they have a way to relieve the pressure and that lets the circulation flow, that lets the nerve not be damaged.

'That's the true emergency there behind everything that's happened to Tiger.'

Torres said speed was critical in this scenario: 'The big concern was amputation. As if they don't have that done quickly - I mean within an hour or so - that could mean an amputation of that leg.'

The medic said the statement released by Woods' medical team at Harbor-UCLA 'doesn't sound good and it is not good for his recovery'.

Woods' ankle injury is of particular concern, he said, as it limits mobility and extends the recovery time.  

Dr. John Torres, NBC News Senior Medical Correspondent, warned Woods might never regain full mobility and said he was just one hour away from having his leg amputated following the horror crash

Deputy Carlos Gonzalez of the LA County Sheriff's Department, the first deputy on the scene, said Woods did not realize how gravely injured he was' as he was cut from his Genesis GV80 SUV after it rolled multiple times

WHAT INJURIES DOES TIGER WOODS HAVE? 

Anish Mahajan, chief medical officer at Harbor-UCLA hospital where Woods is being treated, revealed he has suffered 'comminuted open fractures affecting both the upper and lower portions of the tibia and fibula bones.'

That means the bones - more commonly known as the shinbone and calf bone - have splintered into more than two pieces, and have come through the skin.

Woods also suffered 'additional injuries to the bones of the foot and ankle', Mahajan said, without elaborating further.

In order to treat the injuries, Mahajan said a metal rod was inserted into Woods' tibia which is being stabilized with rods and pins.

Additional screws and pins have been inserted into his foot and ankle, Mahajan added.

Membranes covering Woods' leg muscles were also cut to relieve pressure in the leg from swelling, he said.

He described the injuries as 'serious', and could not give a prognosis or say whether Woods will be able to play golf again. he recovery period is around six weeks for a typical fracture 'but if you look at the fractures he's got multiple fractures to the leg, also fractures to the foot and the ankle,' he said. 

'Depending on what they have to do to the ankle that's going to be the hard recovery period so he's going to get the usual post-recovery from a fracture muscle atrophy, having to learn to go back and walk again, to build up that muscle, that's going to take a few months.

'But if he had to get that ankle fused or if he had any big procedures done to the ankle they're going to limit mobility. That's going to take longer to recover.'

Torres added: 'He truly might never get that mobility back he had before which could definitely impact the way he plays.'

Tuesday's surgery was at least the 10th for Woods, who has suffered knee, back and neck injuries for more than a decade. 

The crash spared his left leg on which he previously underwent reconstructive surgery after shredding his knee ligaments and suffering a double stress fracture in 2008.  

It is not clear if the mounting doubt of a career comeback has sunk in yet for Woods as he lies in his hospital recovering, but the first deputy on the scene has said the sports star did not realize how serious his injuries were when he found him.

Deputy Carlos Gonzalez of the LA County Sheriff's Department said Woods didn't mention any injuries when he reached him and held him in conversation until he was cut from the vehicle. 

'I don't think he was aware of how gravely injured he was at the time,' Gonzalez told the Today Show.

'It could be a mixture of adrenaline, it could have been shock. Again it was so quick from the moment I arrived from the moment he rolled over so I don't know if he had time to fully assess his injuries.'

Tiger Woods looked exhausted in a TV interview days before his horror crash on Tuesday in which he shattered his ankle and fractured his leg

The deputy said he had seen many crashes that looked less horrific from the outset but where the victims were more gravely injured, adding that he believes the seatbelt and air bags prevented Woods ending up in a more serious condition.   

'This accident was traumatic in many ways. I think there was a lot of energy that went into the speeds that made the vehicle travel the distance it did,' he said. 

'The fact that it rolled. I think the injuries that Mr. Woods sustained and I've seen collisions that didn't look as serious where the occupants were injured much more severely but I think that's just a testament to that he was wearing a seatbelt, the airbags worked as intended and modern vehicles are much more safe than they ever used to be'

Gonzalez also said there was 'no signs of impairment' from alcohol or medication when he arrived on the scene. The cause of the crash remains unknown. 

'I will say that it's very fortunate that Mr. Woods was able to come out of this alive,' Gonzalez said. 

Just two days before Tuesday's crash, Woods spoke to CBS Sports about his comeback dreams after undergoing his fifth back surgery.

He told host Jim Nantz Sunday he was hopeful of being ready to compete in the Masters in April.

He said: 'God I hope so, I've got to get there first.

'A lot of it is based on my surgeons, my doctors, my therapists, and making sure that I do it correctly because this is the only back I've got, so I don't know how much wiggle room we've left here.'

However Woods was already uncertain about the reality of this happening, admitting he was unsure if would be able to play a tournament before the major tournament.

'I don't know what the plan is,' he said. 

'The plan is to just go and get an MRI scan and to see if we are healed and then we can start progressing.'

Jon Rahm, the number two golf player in the world, said he hoped Woods could make a return to the sport but - most importantly - can have a 'normal life'.

'As if his body hasn't endured enough,' he 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.' 

Woods - one of the most successful golfers of all time and arguably one of the greatest sportsmen in any discipline - has a long history of injuries, and overcoming them has become something of a trademark.

But this recovery will be his greatest challenge yet and has left some questioning not only his sporting future, but whether he will be able to pick up a club even as an amateur. 

Woods history of injuries dates back to at least 2008 when he famously claimed victory at the US Open despite playing with two stress fractures and a torn ligament in his left leg, which required surgery the day after his win.

Continuing problems with his leg and damage to his elbow forced him to take several breaks from golf over the next few years, until he began suffering back problems in August 2013.

While Woods played through the pain for months, he eventually ruled himself out of The Masters in 2014 - the first time in his career that he had missed the tournament - so he could have surgery on a trapped nerve.

Despite the operation, Woods' problems persisted and in September the following year he went for more surgery - followed rapidly by another operation in October which left him facing a 'long and tedious' recovery.

In April the following year he underwent yet more surgery to fuse two vertebrae in his spine together which left him on painkillers which eventually led to him being found slumped over the wheel of his car.

Overcoming doubts that he would ever be able to swing a club again, Woods battled to return to professional golf and made his first appearance at the Hero World Challenge in December 2018.

Against all the odds, he then went on to win his 15th major title at The Masters the following April in one of the greatest comebacks in sport.

Woods' history of injuries dates back to at least 2008 when he famously won the US Open despite playing with two stress fractures and ligament damage in his left leg that required immediate surgery after his victory

Woods had two of his vertebrae fused together in 2017 - an operation that left him on painkillers and saw him arrested for DUI (pictured). He later went into rehab for painkiller addiction

In one of the greatest comebacks in sport, Woods claimed victory at The Masters in 2019 - his 15th major title - though his injury woes persisted and he had back surgery again in December last year

Tiger Woods and Nick Faldo of England during the final round of the 1997 Masters Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club on April 13, 1997 in Augusta, Georgia

But his injury problems persisted, and in August he had to undergo surgery to repair damage to his elbow. In March 2020 he was forced to sit out the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Players Championship with back issues.

In December last year he quietly underwent another procedure on his back, which was announced to the public in January this year.

Breaking the news to fans, Woods did not set a timetable for his return to golf and was still recovering from the surgery at the time of his latest accident.

'As if his body hasn't endured enough,' Jon Rahm, the No. 2 player in the world, said from the Workday Championship in Florida on Tuesday after learning of the crash. 

'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.' 

What next for Tiger Woods following horrific car crash? 

Tiger Woods faces the biggest fight of his career after undergoing surgery on 'significant' right leg injuries following a car crash in Los Angeles.

Can the 15-time major champion can recover and challenge at the top of world golf again.

What happened? 

Woods was involved in a single-vehicle accident at 7.18 local time on the border of Rolling Hills Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes in southern Los Angeles on Tuesday morning. The car crossed the centre-divider and rested down an embankment several hundred feet away. Firefighters had to use a pry bar and an axe as Woods was 'extricated from the wreck'. Woods suffered 'open fractures affecting the tibia and fibula bones' in his lower right leg 'stabilised by inserting a rod into the tibia'. Injuries to his foot and ankle were stabilised with screws and pins.

Can Woods launch another comeback? 

Now 45, the American's body has been creaking for some time. Woods took a two-month lay-off in April 2008 to undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair the cartilage in his left knee and it has been a struggle pretty much ever since. Multiple back operations and reconstructive surgery on his anterior cruciate ligament have slowly reduced Woods' power and the domination that brought him 14 majors before his 33rd birthday. Woods became golf's comeback king when he won his 15th major title – the 2019 Masters at Augusta National – following back fusion surgery in April 2017. But his LA car accident comes while he was already in recuperation from December surgery to remove a pressurised disc fragment in his back. 

So what happens next?

Months of rehabilitation, for sure. Woods had been hoping to play in the Masters at Augusta in April after undergoing back surgery for a fifth time. He gave an interview as recently as Sunday saying 'I'm feeling fine – I'm a little stiff', but indicated his ambition to tee it up. With the major calendar condensed between April and July, it is almost certain that Woods' hopes of winning a 16th major title in 2021 are over. Woods will turn 46 in December and remains three short of Jack Nicklaus' record 18 wins. The oldest winner of any major is 48-year-old Julius Boros, and only Boros, Nicklaus and Old Tom Morris have won majors at 46 or older. 

Can he win another major?

After all that's happened to him you have to say it's unlikely. But this is Tiger Woods we're talking about and it would be foolish to write him off. He has already come back once to stun the sporting world and has always had unrivalled self-belief and self-determination to win. But the injuries will take some time to heal and it remains unclear what effect they will have on his game. The game has also moved on with big-hitters like Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy leaving Woods a long way behind off the tee, taking away one advantage he used to have over most of the field. But Woods will no doubt take inspiration from Ben Hogan. He has previously cited Hogan's recovery from a near-fatal car crash to win six of his nine major titles, including all three he could contest in 1953, as the greatest comeback in golf. 

So what could the future hold?

Woods has never appeared as comfortable in a media booth as on the driving range or the putting green. Even in his weekend television interview, at the Genesis Invitational tournament which he hosted, he looked distanced and distracted. So punditry might not hold any interest or come easy. Woods was the United States' Presidents Cup captain in Australia in 2019 and has been seen as a future Ryder Cup captain. Woods' son Charlie is a promising junior player and he will no doubt shape the 12-year-old's future career. The pair competed at the PNC Championship in Orlando last December. Woods has been voted into the World Golf Hall of Fame and will be inducted in March 2022.