Rachel Uchitel, who famously had an affair with Tiger Woods in 2009, is wishing him the best after he was involved in a terrifying car accident on Feb. 23.
Tiger Woods’ ex, Rachel Uchitel, is hoping for the best after hearing that the pro golfer was severely injured in a car crash. “Obviously, I’m shaken to see this,” she told E! News. “I’m really hoping he walks out of there okay. Knowing Tiger, this is the last thing he wants — the entire world watching him this way. On the golf course, yes, but not this way.”
She also had nothing but praise and high hopes for her former lover. “The most important thing is to make sure he’s okay,” Rachel added. “Thank God it’s a non-life threatening injury. He’s one of the greatest athletes in the world and we’ve been seeing him in one of the greatest sports comebacks in history. It’s going to be interesting to see what happens.”
Tiger and Rachel’s relationship went public in 2009, when it was reported that she had an affair with the pro athlete (he was married to Elin Nordegren at the time). Although she denied the affair at first, it was eventually confirmed, and dozens of more mistresses also came forward. Rachel and Tiger’s relationship made headlines once again in Jan. 2021, as she appeared in an HBO documentary to discuss the situation.
Tiger’s crash was a single-car accident, and occurred after he was traveling at a “relatively greater speed than normal,” according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff. The golfer was conscious when authorities arrived on the scene. Officials had to break the windshield with an axe to extract Tiger from the vehicle and transport him to the hospital, where he underwent “a long surgical procedure” on his right leg and ankle.
“Mr. Woods suffered significant orthopedic injuries to his right lower extremity that were treated during emergency surgery by Orthopedic trauma specialists at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, a Level 1 trauma center,” the hospital’s Chief Medical Officer confirmed. “Comminuted open fractures affecting both the upper and lower portions of the tibia and fibula bone were stabilized by inserting a rod into the tibia. Additional injuries to the bones of the foot and ankle were stabilized with a combination of pins and screws. Trauma to the muscle and soft-tissue of the leg required surgical release of the covering of the muscles to relieve pressure due to swelling.”
Tiger’s team confirmed that he was “awake and recovering” in the hospital after his surgery on the evening of Feb. 23. His vehicle was badly totaled in the crash, as evidenced by photos from the scene. Doctors have not confirmed how long Tiger’s recovery process will be. The 45-year-old also just had back surgery in December.