Golf stars are set to honor Tiger Woods following his recent car accident by wearing Woods' famous red and black colors during the final day of WGC-Workday Championship - but fans are wondering if the tributes are necessary.
Woods suffered serious injuries to his legs in a crash in Los Angeles on Tuesday morning in which he lost control of his SUV as it struck a center median, crossed into an opposing lane of traffic before hitting a tree and rolling over several times.
The 15-time Major winner has since been transported to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center where he is being treated for his injuries as he recovers from compound fractures, as well as a shattered ankle.
The accident slammed the door shut on Woods' proposed comeback at the Masters in August in early April after back surgery - and has left significant questions as to whether or not Woods will ever compete at the top level of golf again.
But some of Tiger's peers, including Northern Irish star Rory MacIlroy, have reportedly made clear that they will honor the injured player at the upcoming WGC-Workday Championship event by wearing Wood's famous red and black colors on the course.
.@McIlroyRory will wear black pants and a red shirt in the final round of the @WGCWorkday to show support for @TigerWoods. I’m certain he won’t be the only one.
Fans feared the worst when news of Woods' accident began filtering out over social media, and doubly-so when images of the golfer's wrecked SUV began traversing the social media landscape.
Some were reminded of the initial reports some 13 months prior of the helicopter crash which cost the lives of another United States sports superstar, Kobe Bryant.
Woods, thankfully, escaped significant injury - but some critics of the the tribute say that it is an overly-effusive one for the golfer, who didn't suffer any life-threatening injuries in the horror smash.
You guys know he’s still alive...right? This “tribute” is so bizarre to me.
Woods has remained tight-lipped since Tuesday's crash, with a carefully manicured statement appearing on his social media on Saturday which said that the golfer was "recovering and in good spirits", while also requesting "continued privacy".
But he will no doubt have heard of the tribute planned for him by McIlroy and others - even if a section of his more hardline supporters don't exactly think it is necessary.
And you can be sure that Nike, the apparel brand who have sponsored Woods for much of his career, will be overjoyed that Woods' famous black & red color scheme will be center stage at upcoming golf events, even when their big-money business partner is off the fairway for the time being.
