Tiger misses Challenge event

World number one misses own event after car crash

Last updated: 1st December 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Tiger misses Challenge event

Woods: Car crash

Also see

Tiger Woods has announced that he will not play in his Chevron World Challenge golf event in California this week after being injured in a car crash at his Florida home.

Woods crashed his sports utility vehicle in the early hours of Friday and suffered facial injuries as a result of the incident, which is still surrounded in some mystery.

The world number one said that the injuries he suffered are severe enough for him not to travel across the country from Florida to Thousand Oaks in California for the World Challenge.

Woods has hosted the tournament for the last nine years but will not be in attendance on Thursday when this year's event takes place.

"I am extremely disappointed that I will not be at my tournament this week," Woods said in a statement on his official website.

"I am certain it will be an outstanding event and I'm very sorry that I can't be there."

Reports

Earlier in the day, Florida Highway Patrol had distanced themselves from reports that they are seeking search warrants for medical records relating to Woods' facial injuries.

Speculation continued as to the events that led to golf's world number one crashing his Cadillac Escalade into a fire hydrant outside his Windermere, Florida, house and then a neighbour's tree, an accident in the early hours of Friday that led to Woods being treated in hospital for facial lacerations.

Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell has earned a late invitation into the event as a result of Woods opting out.

With the World Challenge carrying ranking points for the first time, world number 55 McDowell could squeeze into the end-of-year top 50 and with it secure a place in next April's Masters at Augusta.

McDowell's management team at Horizon Sports Management said: "We were in touch with the event organisers at the Tiger Woods Foundation yesterday while at Mission Hills during Graeme's final round at the World Cup with Irish team-mate Rory McIlroy.

"They informed us that there was a possibility that Tiger may withdraw and asked if Graeme would be prepared to potentially accept a late invitation should a spot in the field become available."

Post to your View!

Be the first to post a comment on this story

Add Comment*

Send us your views

Are you a Sky Sports subscriber?

*All fields required, your email address will be kept private