By Frank Pingue
March 31 (Reuters) – Tiger Woods said on Tuesday he is stepping away to seek treatment and focus on his health after pleading not guilty to DUI charges stemming from his rollover crash in Florida last week.
Woods, a 15-time major champion and the greatest golfer of his generation, was arrested last Friday afternoon on a charge of driving under the influence after his Land Rover rolled over on a two-lane road near his Jupiter Island home. No one was injured in the crash and Woods was released on bail later that night.
“I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in today,” Woods posted 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.”
Woods, 50, added that he was committed to taking the time needed to return in a “healthier, stronger, and more focused place, both personally and professionally,” and requested privacy.
Following Woods’ announcement, Augusta National Golf Club, home of the year’s first major, confirmed the five-time Masters champion would not be on site next week.
WOODS ENTERED A NOT GUILTY PLEA
Court documents filed on Tuesday showed that Woods has pleaded not guilty to DUI charges and requested a trial with a jury.
Woods’ next court appearance was scheduled for May 5, though he does not have to appear in person for any proceeding prior to a trial, court records show.
According to a probable-cause affidavit seen by Reuters earlier on Tuesday, Woods told authorities he was looking down at his phone and did not realize the truck in front of him had slowed down.
Authorities also said in the affidavit that Woods had two hydrocodone pills in his pocket and that officers observed him to be lethargic, slow, “sweating profusely,” with bloodshot eyes and pupils that were “extremely dilated.”
When asked during the criminal DUI investigation if he took any prescription medication, the report said the 50-year-old golfer replied, “I take a few,” while adding he had done so earlier in the morning.
Woods’ manager did not immediately respond when asked to comment on details of the probable-cause affidavit.
LOOKING AT CELL PHONE BEFORE CRASH
A Martin County Sheriff’s deputy wrote in the report that Woods, when asked about the March 27 collision, said he was looking at his cell phone and changing the radio station which caused him not to see a truck slowing down before the crash.
The officer said in the report he observed Woods “limping and stumbling” and added that the golfer told him he has had seven back surgeries and over 20 operations on his leg.
The officer also noted in the report that Woods was “extremely alert and talkative” and had “hiccups during the entire investigation.”
Woods told the officer he has a limp and that his ankle seizes while walking.
The deputy who walked Woods through a series of field sobriety tests said in the report that based on his training, “I believed that Woods’ normal faculties were impaired, and he was unable to safely operate the motor vehicle.”
WOODS TO MISS YEAR’S FIRST MAJOR
Woods had just returned to competitive golf for the first time since missing the cut at the British Open in July 2024 when he joined his team for the TGL Finals last week, an indoor league that combines simulated golf with real chipping and putting and so requires significantly less walking than traditional golf.
After the match, Woods said he was trying to get his battered body ready for the April 9-12 Masters at Augusta National.
Even if he decided against competing, Woods planned to be at Augusta National for next week’s Champions Dinner but the club confirmed on Tuesday that he will not be on present at all during the year’s first major.
“Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament fully support Tiger Woods as he focuses on his well-being,” Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley said in a statement. “Although Tiger will not be joining us next week, his presence will be felt here in Augusta.”
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto and Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Matthew Lewis and Stephen Coates)
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