Spanish star Jon Rahm said he hopes Tiger Woods "can still play with his kids and have a normal life" after the golf great was involved in a single-car crash.
Woods was "very fortunate" to survive a car crash in California on Tuesday that left the 15-time major champion with serious leg injuries and question marks hanging over his career.
The 45-year-old American superstar underwent surgery at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center after an early morning crash that saw his car roll "several hundred feet", according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
Woods, who had to be pulled from his vehicle with specialist equipment and an axe, was already recovering from back surgery ahead of April's Masters at Augusta.
His career has been hampered by a long-standing back issue, which has required five procedures in recent years.
Rahm reacted to the news as shockwaves were sent through the golf and sport's world amid reports of compound fractures to both legs.
"As if his body hasn't endured enough," Rahm said as he prepares for Thursday's WGC-Workday Championship.
"Just hoping out of a bad situation, the best possible outcome, and I hope he can recover from it and we can see him on the golf course as early as possible.
"I know he underwent surgery early this year, so I hope he didn't damage anything he had done already.
"I just hope he can get out of the hospital after recovery and he can still play with his kids and have a normal life."
Tony Finau – also gearing up for the WGC event at the Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Florida – was part of the Woods-led United States team that defeated the Internationals at the 2019 Presidents Cup in Melbourne.
"He means a lot to the game of golf," Finau said. "I've said it I think time after time, the '97 Masters changed the course of my life.
"Without that event I probably wouldn’t be here, I wouldn't be playing golf, so he definitely changed the course of my life, my career. I think I'm one of hundreds of guys out here probably that would say the same thing.
"We all know he's a strong cookie physically, mentally, so if someone's going to get through this, he will and be back for the better, I'm sure. My thoughts and prayers I'm sure, as all the players, I can speak on their behalf, are with Tiger."
Pablo Larrazabal to follow Miguel Angel Jimenez after KLM Open win in forties
Pablo Larrazabal hopes to follow in the footsteps of fellow Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez after winning the KLM Open by two shots just two weeks into his forties.
Larrazabal celebrated the milestone by winning his ninth DP World Tour title and second in just four weeks after producing a big finish at Bernardus Golf on Sunday.
Having seen his overnight lead evaporate in the early stages of the fourth round, Larrazabal recovered with a series of birdies to sit in a five-way tie at the top after 12 holes.
And he finished with a flourish, birdieing the 15th, 17th and 18th to sign for a closing 69 and finish the tournament on 13 under par.
Larrazabal, who came into the week fresh from playing four rounds at last week’s US PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club, now has two victories in 2023, having won the Korea Championship Presented by Genesis in April.
Fellow Spaniard Adrian Otaegui finished alone in second on 11 under after closing his final-round 70 with a birdie.
Rasmus Hojgaard and Deon Germishuys were then in a tie for third, one stroke further back.
Scotland’s Grant Forrest and Ewen Ferguson finished in a share of eighth on seven under.
Winning so soon after his recent birthday, Larrazabal set his sights on replicating Jimenez, who clinched 13 DP World Tour titles in his forties – although he joked he would settle for a fraction of his success.
He said: “Hopefully I do 20 per cent of what Miguel did in his forties. This is the first win of 40.”
Reflecting on the final round, Larrazabal added: “It doesn’t matter how fast you run at the beginning, you have to run fast at the end to win the race.
“And that’s what I did. What a putt on the last. I tried to make two putts from 20 feet and suddenly I made it.
“I’m so proud of myself and so proud of my team. We struggled big time through Covid but here we are – four wins in the last 15 months. It means too much to me.”
Harry Hall bounces back from double blow to keep share of lead
Harry Hall survived back-to-back double bogeys to head into the final round of the Charles Schwab Challenge tied for the lead in pursuit of his first PGA Tour victory.
The 25-year-old Cornish rookie heads into the final round alongside American Adam Schenk with Harris English a shot further back.
With the scoring average at Colonial Country Club rising to more than one over par in the third round as the greens toughened up, Hall opened with a three-stroke lead and five straight pars before he hit trouble – an errant approach at the sixth and an iron into a muddy creek at the seventh leading to a pair of sixes.
Two birdies on the way home gave him a round of 72 and a place in the final pairing with Schenk – also chasing his first win after six years on tour – who shot a bogey-free 67 to tie at 10 under par.
“I’m never going to stop fighting,” Hall said. “I’m always going to keep trying.
“This game brings you new challenges every day and I’m equipped to deal with them. I think I showed that today, I kept a lot of patience and I kept to my game plan.”
“I’m ready. Just get on the green and make some putts.”
English was on course for a share of the lead before bogeying the last to lie a shot behind.
American Justin Suh and Emiliano Grillo of Argentina are three strokes further back with Viktor Hovland among a group on five under par.
England’s Aaron Rai shot a third round 67 to be tied for 10th in a group on four under par which includes world number one Scottie Scheffler after his 72, a score matched by Justin Rose who is a shot further back.
Harry Hall opens three-stroke halfway lead at Charles Schwab Challenge
Cornish rookie Harry Hall fired four consecutive birdies around the turn as he took a three-shot halfway lead in the Charles Schwab Challenge.
Hall followed his opening round 62 with a 66 as he moved to 12 under par, three clear of American Harris English who lit up his round of 66 with a hole in one at the eighth hole at the Colonial Country Club at Fort Worth, Texas.
Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo is a shot further back after a best of the day round of 65.
Former Walker Cup star Hall is chasing his first PGA Tour win after chalking up two top 10 finishes in his rookie season to date.
Starting at the 10th, he bogeyed the 13th before getting that shot back two holes later and grabbing four straight birdies around the turn to strengthen his position at the top of the leaderboard.
That run was ended with a bogey at the third, but he birded the seventh and holed his second attempt to escape a greenside bunker at the eighth after plugging into the side.
English fared much better at the 170-yard eighth where he produced the first ace at the hole since Jim Furyk in 2011.
Adam Schenk, Byeong Hun An and Robby Shelton were tied for fourth, a stroke behind Grillo and one ahead of Andrew Novak and world number one Scottie Scheffler, who lost in a play-off 12 months ago and had his second consecutive round of 67.
Justin Rose, who won at Colonial five years ago, was tied for ninth at 5 under after a bogey-free 66.
Michael Block, the 46-year-old club pro from California who earned an invitation after tying for 15th at the US PGA Championship, finished last in the 120-strong field at 15 over par but improved on his opening round of 81 by seven strokes.
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