Tiger Woods recovers from car crash: Golf star suffered facial injuries after driving into tree outside his Florida mansion

For the golfing world, it was half an hour to hold your breath and hope. Think of the tension of a five-foot putt to win the Ryder Cup, then multiply it by a million. That's what was at stake for the sport as it waited for news of its greatest icon.
Thankfully, it emerged pretty quickly that first reports from America suggesting Tiger Woods was seriously injured after a car crash quickly proved to have been exaggerated.
He had actually just suffered cuts after he'd driven his car into a fire hydrant and a tree outside his home and was released from hospital in 'good condition'.

George O'Grady, chief executive of European Tour, said everyone in golf would be relieved the world No 1's injuries were not serious.
He told Sky Sports News: 'For the whole world of golf we wish him well and hope there's no real damage and he recovers very soon.
'He's a role model for the world of golf, not just the European Tour. I think everybody will de delighted the injuries are not serious. What a relief.'
But it will still leave a few worrying after-effects for the marketing men who make their money off the back of his image. Woods is the man who has made what was a rich man's pastime into a global game.
He sells out tournaments, he sells TV time, he makes men who otherwise would have only watched football tune in to watch.
Golf has just gone through an eight-month spell finding out what happens without its biggest star.

Woods produced what he called the greatest performance of his career when he won the US Open effectively on one leg in an 18-hole play-off for his 14th Major.
When he then stepped away for surgery to repair a knee injury, he revealed he also had a double stress fracture of his left tibia.
P eople said no one man was bigger than his sport. But TV ratings for the PGA Tour crashed in his absence by nearly 50 per cent. That's what's at stake as the world waits to find out exactly what happened to its highest paid sportsman in the early hours in a leafy Florida lane outside his home.
First reports said he was seriously injured, but it wasn't long before his agent was telling the world he was OK.
But that still doesn't answer the big question of how such a bizarre incident will affect the most carefully polished commercial image in world sport.

As well as winning millions on the course, Woods is the ultimate sportsman turned industry. He is the face of Nike, the clean-cut, non-drinking champion who represents American Express and General Motors. In 2008 he earned around $110million (about £65m).
His story is one of moulding god-given talent to a terrific work ethic. Father Earl was a Vietnam war veteran, his mother Kutilda came from Thailand, and his ethnic mix, which also included Chinese and Dutch ancestry, was part of his worldwide appeal.
He first picked up a cut-down golf club at the age of two, within a year was recognised as a child prodigy and went on to break almost every record. He is held up as a model of professionalism and dedication.
So what was he doing reversing off his drive at 2.25am? Police reports said alcohol was not involved.

Oh, no! Poor Tyger. I hope he gets well soon.