Tiger Woods Tears Up As Daughter Sam Recalls Athlete's Horrifying 2021 Rollover Car Crash In Hall Of Fame Speech
Tiger Woods' daughter is taking a moment to look back on an obstacle her dad had to overcome to get to where he is today.
While introducing the pro golfer during his World Golf Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Florida on Wednesday, March 9, Sam Woods recounted the horrifying moments she and her family endured following his February 2021 rollover car crash, which resulted in the five-time Masters champion suffering significant orthopedic injuries to his right leg.
The 14-year-old described the tragedy as one of Tiger's "ultimate lows," as she recalled the fear their family felt while waiting for him to return from the hospital last year.
"We didn't know if you'd come home with two legs or not," Sam heartbreakingly admitted. "Now, you're not only about to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, but you're standing here on your own two feet. This is why you deserve this."
"You're a fighter," Sam lovingly added, as she directly addressed her dad, "you've defied the odds every time."
Tiger — who shares Sam and son Charlie, 13, with ex-wife Elin Nordegren — was on the border of Rolling Hills Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes in Southern California last year when his vehicle hit a sign in the center of the divider and cut through a tree before flipping and landing on the side of the road.
One day after the crash, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said they saw no signs “of impairment” at the scene and later confirmed speed was the primary cause of Tiger's crash.
Last November, Tiger opened up about the surgeries he had to undergo following his crash and the toll it took on him. "It's hard to explain how difficult it has been just to be immobile for the three months, just lay there and I was just looking forward to getting outside," he previously explained, acknowledging: "I'm lucky to be alive and also have a limb."
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Tiger also discussed his injuries last month, sharing during a press conference ahead of the start of the Genesis Invitational that his leg is "altered."
"My right leg does not look like my left, let's put it that way," he said before emphasizing he would not be partaking in any PGA tour anytime soon due to his physicality. "I wish I could tell you when I'm playing again."
"I want to know, but I don't," Tiger somberly concluded of when he expected to return to the golf course. "I'm still working on the walking part."
And though Tiger may not be able to get back to where he once was, he has high hopes that his son will follow in his footsteps.
"Tiger thinks it would be great for Charlie to have a destiny like his," an OK! insider spilled of his son, who garnered praise playing alongside the 46-year-old at the PNC Championship on December 19, where the dynamic duo came in second. "Tiger isn't trying to be pushy, he's just proud of his son and sees a lot of potential in him."
Tiger also has a lot of love for his daughter, as he candidly told Red Table Talk host Jada Pinkett Smith in July of last year: "I have this thing about… I feel like every dude should have a daughter," per People.
When asked what the teenager has taught him, the athlete joked: "What has my daughter taught me? I don't like boys," before honestly answering that Sam "has taught me how to be more patient."
"Daddy's little girl," Tiger concluded. "I love it."