Golfer Tiger Woods was released on bail late Friday, hours after his Land Rover clipped a truck, rolled onto its side, and he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, officials said. Woods was booked at the Martin County jail around 3 p.m. and released eight hours later, the minimum allowed under state law, according to Sheriff John Budensiek.
Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek stated that Woods had been traveling at “high speeds” on a residential road and, after the crash, showed “signs of impairment.” He described Woods as lethargic and added that investigators believe he had taken some kind of medication or drug. Woods agreed to a Breathalyzer test that showed no signs of alcohol but refused a urine test, leading to his arrest.
The crash occurred just before 2 p.m., not far from where Woods lives on Jupiter Island. Budensiek said Woods attempted to pass a pressure cleaner truck on a two-lane road with a 48 km/h (30 mph) speed limit, but authorities could not determine his exact speed. The Land Rover swerved to avoid a collision while passing but clipped the back end of the truck’s trailer, causing it to roll onto its driver’s side. Woods crawled out of the vehicle unharmed.
The sheriff noted that Woods was “cooperative, but he’s not trying to incriminate himself.” He emphasized that Woods has the right to refuse the urine test and that authorities “will never get definitive results with what he was impaired on.” This marks the second time the 50-year-old Woods has been arrested for a DUI not involving alcohol. In 2017, he pleaded guilty to reckless driving after being found asleep behind the wheel of his car with the engine running and driver’s side damaged, claiming he had taken a bad mix of painkillers.
This is Woods’ fourth car crash, most recently in February 2021 in Los Angeles, when his SUV ran off a coastal road at high speed, resulting in multiple leg and ankle injuries. Woods later said doctors considered amputation. He has also sustained multiple injuries to his left knee and back throughout his golf career.
Woods returned from multiple back surgeries to win the 2019 Masters for his 15th major title. His 82 PGA Tour victories are tied with Sam Snead for the career record. Since the LA crash, he has played in 11 tournaments without finishing closer than 16 shots to the winner, only completing 72 holes four times.
Friday’s arrest comes as Woods was evaluating his fitness to play in the Masters, which begins on April 9. He was also scheduled to be in Augusta, Georgia, on April 5 to unveil a golf course project with Masters chairman Fred Ridley. Woods was days away from a “soft deadline” to decide on serving as the U.S. Ryder Cup captain for the 2027 matches in Ireland.
He has been recovering from a seventh back surgery in September 2024. His last official tournament was the 2024 British Open. Woods ruptured his Achilles tendon in March 2025, keeping him off the course all season even before the back surgery. He managed to play in his indoor TGL golf league on Tuesday night. At last month’s Genesis Invitational near Los Angeles, when asked about playing again, Woods said, “I’m trying. Put it that way. The disc replacement has been one thing… I’ve had a fused back and now a disc replacement, so it’s challenging.”
Source: www.aljazeera.com