AP

Tiger Woods was injured in a car accident early on Friday when he lost control of his car outside his Florida house, with his wife saying she had to smash the back window of the vehicle with a golf club to free him.

Woods was treated and released from hospital the same day following the single-vehicle smash in which he hit a fire hydrant and then rammed into a nearby tree about 2.30am local time on Friday (about 6.30pm Friday AEDT).

Police said Woods was outside of the vehicle with his wife next to him when they arrived.

Woods was in a semi-conscious state, suffering from cuts to both his upper and lower lips.

His wife told police she heard the crash and then used a golf club to break the rear window of the vehicle to help her husband.

The accident came two days after the National Enquirer tabloid published a story alleging that Woods had been seeing a new York nightclub hostess, and that they recently were together in Melbourne, where Woods competed in the Australian Masters.

But Florida Highway Patrol spokeswoman Sergeant Kim Montes said the accident was being investigated as a “traffic crash”.

“We don’t believe it is a domestic issue,” she said.

The highway patrol said alcohol was not involved, although the accident remained under investigation and charges could be filed.

The Florida Highway Patrol said Woods’ vehicle hit a fire hydrant and a tree in his neighbour’s yard after he pulled out of his driveway at 2.25am.

Windermere police chief Daniel Saylor told The associated Press that officers found the 33-year-old lying in the street with his wife, Elin, hovering over him.

“She was frantic, upset,” Saylor said in a briefing Friday night.

“It was her husband laying on the ground.”

“He was in and out of consciousness when my guys got there.

“He was mumbling, but didn’t say anything coherent.”

Woods’ wife told officers she was in the house when she heard the accident and “came out and broke the back window with a golf club”.

He said the front-door windows were not broken and that “the door was probably locked”.

Asked at an evening news conference if the couple could have been arguing, Saylor said he had no knowledge of that. The couple, married five years, have two children.

The woman in the National Enquirer story, Rachel Uchitel, denied having an affair with Woods when contacted by The associated Press.

“I resent my reputation is getting completely blasted in the media,” she said during a telephone interview late on Friday.

“Everyone is assuming I came out and said this. This is not a story I have anything to do with.”

Uchitel said she was in Melbourne two weeks ago with clients and never saw Woods the entire time she was there.

The highway patrol said Woods was alone in his 2009 Cadillac when he pulled out of his driveway from his house at Isleworth, a gated waterfront community just outside Orlando.

Woods’ injuries were described as serious in the patrol’s report, though his spokesman, Glenn Greenspan, issued a statement that Woods was treated and released.

“Tiger Woods was in a minor car accident outside his home last night. he was admitted, treated and released today in good condition,” the Florida Health Central Hospital said in a statement.

The golfer also issued the same statement on his website adding, “We appreciate very much everyone’s thoughts and well wishes.”

It was not known where Woods was going at that hour. Greenspan and the golfer’s agent mark Steinberg said there would be no comment beyond the short statement posted on Woods’ website.

Woods, coming off a two-week trip to China and Australia earlier this month, is host of the Chevron World Challenge in Thousand Oaks, California, which starts on Thursday.

He is scheduled to have his press conference on Tuesday at Sherwood Country Club. Steinberg said he did not know if Woods planned to play next week.

The Florida Highway Patrol said tapes of the 911 call won’t be released until they can be reviewed, probably Monday at the earliest.

The accident report was not released until nearly 12 hours after Woods was injured.

Montes said the accident did not meet the criteria of a serious crash, and the highway patrol only put out a press release because of inquiries from local media.

Montes said the patrol reports injuries as serious if they require more than minor medical attention. Air bags in the car did not deploy.

Two troopers tried to talk to Woods on Friday evening, but his wife said he was sleeping and they agreed to come back on Saturday, Montes said.

Damage to the front of Woods’ SUV was described as “medium” by Saylor.

“Not real extensive, but not real light,” he said.

It’s time for a new feature in the Sports Den called, “Good Week/Bad Week.” It’s an incredibly original idea that has never been done before. in fact, this is the first time in history something like this has been created. if it seems like a “Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down” type of article, it’s not. There are no similarities whatsoever. It’s you that thinks that, not anyone else.

Bad Week: Tiger Woods. Woods was involved in a car accident outside his home in Windermere, FL. his Cadillac veered off the road, hit a fire hydrant, and careened into a tree. (You mean to tell me he doesn’t drive a Buick LeSabre?)

Woods was reportedly in and out of consciousness when the ambulance arrived, but was later released from the hospital with minor facial lacerations.

(Thankfully, the choppers are still in tact. I’m pretty sure they could sustain far worse than a minor car accident — like a scud missile to the face, fired from close range.)

To make matters worse, his Supermodel wife, Elin Nordegren, had to break out the back window with a golf club to remove Woods from the vehicle.

The accident happened around 2:30 am and Woods’ agent quickly issued a statement saying no further details would be released. The police did go out of their way to mention that alcohol was not involved, but that possible charges were being investigated.

Tiger is my favorite athlete of all time, so I want to give him the benefit of the doubt. but what’s he doing leaving his house at 2:30 in the morning? I’ve been out that late more times than I’d care to admit, and there’s always one prevailing lesson: nothing good ever comes from it. There are many questions that remain, and I don’t want to speculate, but this definitely constitutes a bad week award.

Okay, I lied. I do want to speculate. Only one theory makes sense: he got an emergency phone call from his Isleworth neighbor, Ken Griffey, Jr., who had such a craving for Elin’s famous Swedish meat balls, that Tiger knew he had to rush over there immediately. Tiger knows what happens when an angry, 300 pound Griffey doesn’t get his meat balls.

Good Week: Elin Nordegren. As if men across the globe weren’t already enamored with her enough, now we come to find out she knows how to swing a golf club. Couple that with the famous meat balls, and Google may have to temporarily shut down for a few hours.

Bad Week: Jim Rome. Rome was on vacation this week and had KJR’s Dave “Softy” Mahler fill in for him on his national radio show. The result: new Guinness Records for the number of times, “baby,” “what’s your take,” and “the bottom line” were said to a national audience.

Uh, Jim, how did you pick Softy? was Petros Papadakis busy? have you ever heard his show? have you ever seen the Husky polos he wears on Comcast?

Here is a partial transcript from the show:

Softy: “Steve in Worcester, MA, you’re on the Jim Rome show.”

Steve: “Thanks for taking my call. What did you think of Belichick’s decision to go for it on fourth down on his own 28 yard line?”

Softy: “Here’s my take: The bottom line is there’s NO WAY the Cougars beat the Huskies in the apple cup this year. I’d be surprised if the Cougars were smart enough to figure out how to find Husky Stadium, baby.” (Insert obnoxious laughter/belch.)

Steve: “Did you just fart? And what’s this Apple Cup thing?”

Bad Week: mark Mangino. The much-maligned Kansas football coach is under investigation for what some players have called an “abusive” coaching style, including allegations that he put his hands on players during altercations. this news comes the same week that Applebee’s announced the end of its one appetizer, two entrees for $20 promotion. Talk about kicking a man while he’s down.

Bad Week: The Sports Den. Two buddies of mine sent me an email saying that the University of Washington and Washington State have agreed to sell the naming rights for the Apple Cup. “Beginning in 2010 the game will be known as the ‘Snapple’ Cup.” they even sent a fake link to a Seattle Times article that looked authentic. Being typical cougar grads, they quoted UW Athletic Director “Todd Turner” in the fake story, which I somehow glossed right over. Even with that mistake, I fell for it hook, line and sinker.

Bad Week: My two buddies. they had to spend hours creating this thing. The fonts, the format, everything was perfect. The problem is, they had the time to do this at work. At least they’ll have the time to make Christmas presents for their wives this year.

Good Week: The Sports Den. MLS soccer is finally over. I thought the NHL season was long. The most exciting part of the season was watching how much balder Kasey Keller got. in fact, I think I developed a bit of a bald spot myself, being that the season started three years ago. I’m also looking forward to a “holiday” from seeing those hideous lime-green scarfs around town. (Isn’t “holiday” the word that soccer fans use for vacation?)

I’m not still bitter that we lost the Sonics without as much as a whimper, and that Seattle went from a basketball town to a soccer town overnight. Really, I’m not.

Questions? Comments? Hate Mail? I can be reached at mattdennehy1@gmail.com

A Malcolm Turnbull supporter says the Liberal Party will be facing electoral oblivion if it changes leaders next week.

Senator Gary Humphries says a change in leader would mean a change in its emission trading scheme (ETS) policy and desertion of its supporters.

“To change the leader is to change the policy, and I don’t think in their heart of hearts Liberals will want us to change our policy if it means we are looking down the barrel of electoral oblivion,” Senator Humphries told Sky TV.

He says private polling within the party shows the majority of supporters believe an ETS “is the way to go”.

“As more time goes past, the more people will focus on what they were doing – if they were to change the leader,” Senator Humphries said.

“If people say to themselves, to make, for example, Tony Abbott leader of the party, that would certainly be a change of policy on the ETS.”

He said if the party doesn’t back the amendments negotiated by Ian Macfarlane, supporters will abandon the Liberals in an election he believed could be held in March.

Missing: one flood. It was supposed to have happened, but it’s nowhere to be found. In fact, where rising waters were anticipated, only a trickle has emerged. many “in the know” are scratching their heads in puzzlement. READ MORE >>

The projected flood of foreclosed homes into the market after the national foreclosure moratorium was lifted on April 1, 2009 has not materialized. It’s not that foreclosures have halted. Nothing is further from the truth. It’s just that foreclosed homes aren’t hitting the market in the volume expected.

Foreclosed inventory is building up in record numbers in what many analysts have labeled “Shadow Inventory.” Google
“shadow inventory” and you’ll find much speculation about how large it really is and what might be happening.

One thing is certain: it’s dramatically affecting the Central County housing market. there are a few theories as to why the much ballyhooed deluge has not yet occurred:

1. It takes time to process large numbers of foreclosed homes.

Once occupants have been evicted, properties need to be secured and readied for the market. Some suggest that the large quantities of homes taken back by banks have actually overwhelmed the existing infrastructure, causing delays.

2. Banks may be using “creative” accounting to improve their fi nancial reports.

This popular theory suggests that banks don’t want actual numbers of foreclosed homes showing up on their ledgers, so they’re slowing down the rate at which properties are released to “improve” their balance sheets. Some have suggested that this is the primary reason some banks have actually been showing profits as of late.

3. Market Manipulation: Bankers may have fi gured out that by slowing the rate at which foreclosed homes hit the market, market conditions could be improved in their favor. As in, the fewer the homes on the market, the higher the demand and the higher the prices could be driven. Read, “price fi xing.”

East Bay Realtors I’ve talked to don’t know which of these theories are fact. It’s probably a combination of the above and other factors not listed here. however, we do know one thing for certain. With no fl ood, the plummeting inventory of homes is causing bidding wars and forcing prices of Central County homes upward.

It’s a real dilemma for those hoping to capitalize on current low prices to buy their fi rst home. With no fl ood, some buyers may have actually missed the boat.

Carl Medford is a licensed real estate agent with Windermere Properties of the East Bay. he is also a licensed general contractor. this article is sponsored by the Central County Marketing Association at CentralCounty.org.