Tiger Woods ‘lucky to be alive’

The vehicle was wrecked. So, seemingly, was what remains of Tiger Woods’ fabulous career.

A serious accident involving one of the most famous athletes of our time. Four words from a deputy sheriff: “Lucky to be alive.”

A sigh of relief from the sporting world. Really, from the world beyond sports.

Woods was in a hurry. Aren’t we all? The investigation, which will take weeks, should let us know exactly what happened on Tuesday morning, and why.

Until then, we surmise

Woods, not impaired according to Los Angeles County sheriff Alex Villanueva — this was on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, L.A. County, not L.A. city. He zoomed down a hill where almost no one heeds the 45 mph speed limit.

He was driving a 2021 Genesis GV 80 SUV, which was both understandable — Woods had been involved in the Genesis Invitational at Riviera, which ended on Sunday — and fortunate.

Carlos Gonzalez, the deputy who told us Woods was “lucky to be alive,” pointed out not only was Tiger wearing his safety belt but that the Genesis SUV 80 “speaks to the construction of the modern automobile — they’re safer than they’ve ever been.”

But they can’t drive themselves. Yet with Woods as the sole occupant, the SUV, heading north through a residential area, toward a TV shoot, hit a median, ripped into a sign welcoming people to Rolling Hills Estates, tore out a small tree and ended up on its side.

The windshield had to be broken out to extricate Woods, who was taken by ambulance to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance and underwent surgery on both legs.

Recovery will take a long time. Tiger’s people are notoriously secret, as is Tiger himself, but we can guess it will be months.

So awful. So ironic. Woods has been unable to play since his fifth back surgery in December. On the CBS telecast of the Genesis, Jim Nantz asked Tiger if in seven weeks he would be competing in the Masters — which as always will be telecast on CBS,

“God, I hope so,” he told Nantz. ”I’ve got to get there first. A lot of it is based on my surgeons and doctors and therapist and making sure I do it correctly. This is the only back I’ve got. I don’t have much more wiggle room left.”

Now that room has been wiggled away. Woods won’t be at the 2021 Masters as a player. We can only hope he might be there as a guest, “a non-competing invitee,” which as a Masters champion he’ll always remain.

Probably no chance.

He has 82 Tour victories, sharing first with Sam Snead. He has 15 major championship victories, three fewer than Jack Nicklaus. After this terrible day, will he ever have another win of any type? And if he doesn’t, will it matter?

“Show me a hero, and I’ll write you a tragedy,” said F. Scott Fitzgerald, a quote with numerous explanations. Woods has had so many heroic moments, and even before this crash enough tragic ones.

Our futures are uncharted. The best of times spin away with frightening rapidity. We’re left gasping as joy becomes sorrow.

Woods has lived in Florida since turning pro in 1997, but his base and his buddies are in southern California. The accident occurred maybe 30 miles from where he grew up and became a star. This was the worst of homecomings.

The CHP and sheriffs set up at the site after the accident, blocking traffic and taking notes, which is normal. One almost could imagine as they filled their notebooks with the details, they instead were golfers filling out scorecards.

The drive Tiger took on Tuesday wasn’t off a tee. He lost control of a car, not the ball. As the deputy pointed out, Woods is lucky to be alive.

A sobering thought, but also a reassuring one.