We should be grateful that Tiger Woods is alive, 'that his kids haven't lost their dad,' says an emotional Rory McIlroy - CNN International

The 45-year-old is awake and recovering from surgery after being involved in a serious car accident on Tuesday near Los Angeles.

He suffered serious leg injuries and was trapped but conscious when emergency responders reached the scene of his one-vehicle rollover crash on a stretch of California road known for speeding and accidents, authorities said Tuesday.

READ: The life and times of golf's biggest star

"He's not Superman ... He's a human being at the end of the day," four-time major winner Rory McIlroy told reporters, ahead of WGC-Workday Championship which begins on Thursday. "And he's already been through so much.

"At this stage I think everyone should just be grateful that he's here, that he's alive, that his kids haven't lost their dad. That's the most important thing. Golf is so far from the equation right now, it's not even on the map at this point."

In the aftermath of the crash, Los Angeles County Sherriff Alex Villanueva told CNN's Erin Burnett the single-car crash was "purely an accident," and investigators will not pursue any charges.

He also said Woods told investigators Tuesday at a hospital that "he had no recollection of the crash."

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan emphasized that while he'd love to see Woods on the golf course in the future, thoughts should be with his family.

"Tiger's a human being. Tiger's had some really difficult injuries -- the most important thing is, you know, is his well-being. It's Tiger recovering, it's supporting Tiger's family. The golf -- when Tiger wants to talk about the golf, we'll talk about the golf. All the energy right now is going to be poured into supporting him in the days and months ahead."

Given the grisly nature of the crash, former world No. 1 Jon Rahm said he is just appreciative that Woods is alive at all.

"Just over a year ago we lost Kobe Bryant out of the blue, and I'm just, if anything, thankful that Tiger's still here. Hopefully he comes out of this one," the 26-year-old told the media.

"Hopefully his body's still good. I don't necessarily need to see him on a golf course again. I would love to, but I just hope he can live a normal life from here on. He's given everything to this game, he's done so much for us, and every day that we're all out here is going to be a memory of Tiger Woods.

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"Luckily he's got so much impact in this world that even though if he doesn't hit a golf shot, with his foundation and many other works, he's still able to make a great impact in this world."

Dustin Johnson added: "He's such a big part of the PGA Tour and what it's become today so, yeah I mean once he's not playing anymore it definitely, you know, the game will miss him but I feel like he'll always somehow be around and be involved in the game."

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2021-02-25 10:22:38Z
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