Following a rollover collision close to his Florida home, Tiger Woods was detained and charged with driving under the influence on Friday, adding to the already stormy course of his career, according to officials.
Woods, 50, was arrested when his car flipped over and skidded to a stop after clipping a truck while trying to pass on a Jupiter Island residential lane. Woods was unharmed.
Despite passing a BAC test, Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek claimed that Woods, who was jailed in 2017 for driving while intoxicated, displayed “impairment” indicators.
But after declining to submit to a urine analysis test, he was officially charged with driving while intoxicated, according to Budensiek.
“When it came time for us to ask for a urinalysis test, he refused, and so he’s been charged with DUI, with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test in the crash,” Budensiek said.
According to the sheriff, after examining Woods at the site, drug identification specialists concluded that the golfer was under the influence of “some kind of medication or drug.” However, Budensiek stated that Woods was free to decline a urine test under Florida law.
“We will never get definitive results as to what he was impaired on at the time of the crash,” Budensiek told reporters.
Budensiek stated that although neither Woods nor the driver of the other car were hurt, the event “could have been a lot worse.”
“This is a small two-lane road,” he said. “Had somebody been moving in the opposite direction, we would not be having a conversation saying there was no injuries.”
When asked to gauge Woods’ speed just prior to the collision, Budensiek responded: “The answer is I can’t. But I can tell you this — it’s a 30 mile an hour speed limit. When I show you the photos, they kind of speak for themselves…you can see that he slid for a decent space before he came to a stop.”
Following the incident, President Donald Trump told reporters in Miami that he felt sorry for Woods.
“He’s got some difficulty, there was an accident, and that’s all I know,” Trump said. “Very close friend of mine. He’s an amazing person, amazing man, but, uh, some difficulty.”
Woods will be held in a local jail for at least eight hours before being released in accordance with Florida DUI regulations.
The incident on Friday occurred five years after Woods suffered catastrophic damage to his right leg in a car accident in California. In 2023, the 15-time major winner required follow-up surgery, a rod in his tibia, and pins placed in his foot and ankle.
After the 2021 crash, Woods made a comeback at the 2022 Masters, when he struggled to walk Augusta National for all four rounds and finished 47th.
Woods has been trying to recover from an Achilles tendon rupture in March and back surgery last October after a 2009 sex scandal destroyed his once-flawless reputation.
He participated in the TGL simulator indoor golf league finals earlier this week and hasn’t ruled out competing in the Masters next month. Including his first major victory in 1997 and his most recent in 2019, he has won five times at Augusta.
Since missing the cut at the British Open at Royal Troon in July 2024, Woods, whose 82 PGA Tour career victories are tied for the all-time record with Sam Snead, has not played on the PGA Tour. His most recent cut came in the 2024 Masters, when he finished 60th.
