The Land Rover lay on its side on a residential road near Jupiter Island, Florida. The 50-year-old driver climbed out through the passenger door. Two hydrocodone pills turned up in his pocket. The breathalyzer read 0.000.

On Friday afternoon, Tiger Woods was arrested for driving under the influence with property damage after his SUV clipped a truck and rolled onto its driver’s side, according to a Martin County Sheriff’s affidavit. Woods told deputies he had been looking at his phone and changing the radio station when he crossed a double yellow line and struck the vehicle ahead. The other driver was uninjured. The trailer sustained roughly $5,000 in damage.

By Tuesday, Woods had pleaded not guilty and released a statement announcing he would step away from golf.

“I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in today,” Woods wrote on social media. “I am stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health. This is necessary in order for me to prioritize my well-being and work toward lasting recovery.”

A familiar road

This is Woods’s fourth vehicle incident since 2009 and the second involving suspected impairment from prescription medication. In 2017, he was arrested for DUI in Florida after police found him stopped on the side of the road with his engine running. He pleaded guilty to reckless driving, completed 12 months of probation, and entered treatment for medication management.

The parallels are hard to miss. The same attorney, Douglas Duncan, is representing him again. The same drug — hydrocodone — appears in both cases. The same battered body is the through-line.

Woods told deputies he has undergone seven back surgeries and more than 20 leg operations, and that his ankle seizes while walking. Officers described him as “sweating profusely” with “bloodshot and glassy” eyes, “lethargic and slow” speech and movements. He told investigators he had taken “a few” prescription medications that morning, including Vicodin.

He declined to provide a urine sample after being informed of Florida’s implied consent law. That refusal now carries its own misdemeanor charge under Trenton’s Law, which took effect in October and mandates a minimum 30 days in jail for refusing chemical testing during a DUI stop.

Treatment abroad

On Wednesday, a judge granted Woods permission to travel outside the United States for what court documents describe as “comprehensive in patient treatment.” Duncan argued that Woods’s “complex clinical presentation” requires a “highly controlled environment” unavailable domestically because his “privacy has been repeatedly compromised.”

“Ongoing medical scrutiny and public exposure create significant barriers to his care and would result in setbacks and an inability to fully engage in treatment,” Duncan wrote.

The out-of-country facility was recommended by Woods’s treating physician.

Another Masters without him

Woods had just returned to competitive golf in a limited capacity, playing in the TGL Finals — the indoor league he co-founded with Rory McIlroy. After that appearance, he spoke about trying to get his body ready for the Masters.

Instead, Augusta National confirmed he will not attend the April 9-12 tournament at all. No competitive rounds. No Champions Dinner. The five-time Masters champion, who underwent his seventh back surgery in October 2025, will be absent from a venue where he once defined the sport.

“Although Tiger will not be joining us in person next week, his presence will be felt here in Augusta,” chairman Fred Ridley said in a statement.

What comes next

Legally, Woods faces an uncertain path. Lawrence Meltzer, a Florida DUI attorney not involved in the case, told CNN that the refusal to submit a urine sample cuts both ways. Prosecutors can use it as “indicative of guilt,” but without chemical evidence of a specific substance, proving impairment is harder.

“Can they go forward without having any evidence of what the substance is?” Meltzer said. “Meaning, they have no alcohol, and then technically they have no drug.”

Meltzer said he does not expect jail time. Woods’s next court date is May 5.

Donald Trump, who said he spoke with Woods after the crash, told the New York Post: “He lives a life of pain. He has a lot of pain.”

Woods also turned down the role of US captain for the 2027 Ryder Cup. The PGA of America said it respected the courage of his decision. The PGA Tour offered its full support.

The cycle of spectacular return and painful collapse has defined the second half of Woods’s life. The 2019 Masters, his first major championship in 11 years, was supposed to close that chapter. Each comeback since has been shorter and more fragile. Now 50, with a court date and an overseas treatment facility ahead of him, Woods has stepped away again — from competition, from Augusta, from the public eye. The road back, if there is one, is the same road he has walked before.

Sources