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[이데일리 스타in 주영로 기자] ‘Golf Emperor’ Tiger Woods (USA) was seriously injured in a dizzying accident in which a vehicle overturned while riding the Genesis GV80.
Major US media, including the Associated Press, reported on the 24th (Korean time) that Tiger Woods had an accident on a downhill road while running on a two-lane road in Rancho Palos Verdes outside Los Angeles, California at 7:12 am.
Immediately after the accident, the police officer in charge of investigating the incident said Woods said, “I was driving at a relatively faster speed than usual, but the vehicle crossed the center line of the road and then completely left the road and rolled down the hill.” A local resident who witnessed the accident called 911, and Woods was conscious when paramedics arrived at the scene.
According to the person in charge who confirmed the accident, the inside of the car that Woods was driving was still intact, and the seat belt was worn, and the situation was serious, saying, “If I had not worn the seat belt, I would have suffered fatal injuries.”
Reuters reported that the car in the accident rolled over 9m from the roadway and turned over to the side on a slope next to the roadway, and the front part of the vehicle was completely crumpled by the impact of the accident.
The US Golf Digest quoted Dr. Anisey Mahajan, who had operated on Woods hours after the accident, saying, “Woods suffered a serious injury to his right leg. Several places on the right shin bone and calf bone were shattered and broken, and an iron core was inserted into the shin bone to stabilize the injured area. Additional injuries to the foot and ankle bone were stabilized with screws and pins.”
The injury is very serious, and it is unclear whether Woods will be able to stand on the field again after recovery.
The reason Woods was driving a Genesis GV80 vehicle at the time of the accident is related to the Genesis Invitational, an American Professional Golf (PGA) tour that ended two days ago.
Woods is the host of this contest. The Tiger Woods Foundation hosts the competition and is sponsored by Genesis.
As an organizer, the host holds various events during the tournament and supports the players who participated in the tournament. In addition, they will also attend events such as Pro-Am hosted by the sponsor and come to the fore for the successful hosting of the event.
Genesys, a sponsor, visited the site and watched the game during the competition until last year. This year did not go due to the spread of Corona 19.
In the first place, Woods was expected to participate in this competition as a player. However, he did not participate in this competition as he was recovering after undergoing back surgery in January. Instead, he came to the golf course during the tournament to greet players and officials, and attended the awards ceremony after the game.
During the PGA Tour, athletes will be provided with protocol vehicles. A famous automobile brand is sponsoring a protocol vehicle because it is judged that the stars can have a great publicity effect just by riding their own cars.
Genesis is providing an official protocol vehicle for the directly sponsored Genesis Invitational and the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego in January.
In addition to Genesis, Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Lexus, Acura, and Cadillac are supporting protocol vehicles for the PGA Tour. When players buy a car, they also offer discounts.
Protocol vehicles provided to players and officials are provided on Monday, three days before the start of the competition, and returned the day after the game ends. If you apply in advance, you can receive it sooner and return it later. In addition, when competitions are held in a row in a nearby area, there are times when a single vehicle is driven for 2-3 weeks.
Genesis supported G70, G80, G90 and GV80 vehicles during this competition. The GV70, which was launched in Korea but not sold in the US, was not included in the protocol.
Star players such as Woods and Dustin Johnson are assigned a car of a specific model to apply. The rest of the athletes can allocate vehicles collectively by the organizer, or choose an SUV or sedan depending on the athlete’s taste.
Not all athletes have to ride a protocol vehicle. Some players use their own cars.
During the 2019 Masters period, Mercedes was given to players as a protocol vehicle. Bryson DeChambo didn’t ride a Mercedes, but took his own vehicle, the Bentley Bentayga, to the venue.
The day of the accident was two days after the competition ended. The official event related to the tournament ended, but Woods continued to ride with Genesis GV80 support until he was working on a personal schedule scheduled nearby. Genesis is also providing business vehicles to the Tiger Woods Foundation.
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