Tiger Woods was recovering from back surgery when he sustained serious injuries to his leg in Tuesday's car accident — and now the 45-year old golfer knows his career might be in jeopardy, a source says,
The source close to Woods tells PEOPLE that the golfer will have some serious decisions to make about his future as he recovers from the crash.
"He doesn't want his career to end like this," says the insider. "So if there's any way at all that he can continue playing golf, he will."
In a statement issued via his official Twitter page on Tuesday night, Woods' team gave an update on the golf pro's condition and acknowledged that his injuries were severe.
Woods "suffered significant orthopedic injuries to his right lower extremity that were treated during emergency surgery by Orthopedic trauma specialists at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center," according to Anish Mahajan, MD, chief medical officer at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.
The doctor went on to explain in the statement that Woods suffered from "fractures affecting both the upper and lower portions of the tibia and fibular bones were stabilized by inserting a rod into" the athlete's leg.
He also suffered "additional injuries" in his foot and ankle that have been stabalized with "a combination of screws and pins."
Woods' team concluded the statement, saying that he was now "awake, responsive and recovering in his hospital room" while thanking all of the doctors and hospital staff for their support.
The single-vehicle accident happened near the communities of Rolling Hills Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes, located in Los Angeles county. According to the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, Woods' vehicle sustained "major damage" in the crash.
First responders had to use tools to help extricate Woods from the vehicle, which had flipped over multiple times.
The insider tells PEOPLE that the golfer and dad of two is "frustrated" at the latest setback. He underwent his recent back surgery to remove a disc fragment pinching his nerve after experiencing discomfort following the December PNC Championship.
"He expected 2021 to be the year of his comeback," the source says. "Obviously, that's not going to happen now. And that's disappointing to him."
But the source tells PEOPLE that Woods might be able to bounce back. "This is a massive setback and he knows that it's a massive setback," the source says, "but he's overcome obstacles in the past and thinks he can do it again."
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