Woods to 'step away and seek treatment' after crash

Tiger Woods announced he would step away to seek treatment, hours after being charged with driving under the influence on Jupiter Island, Florida. The March 27 arrest was his second DUI in nine years and the fourth high-profile vehicle incident of his career.

Woods was driving a Land Rover SUV just before 2 p.m. ET when authorities say he struck a pickup truck carrying a pressure washer trailer on South Beach Road, roughly four miles from his home. The vehicle rolled onto its driver's side. No one was injured; Woods crawled out through the passenger side.

Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek announced the arrest at a 5 p.m. press conference, saying deputies observed signs of impairment. A Breathalyzer registered 0.00 blood alcohol content, but Woods refused a urinalysis. He was transported to Cleveland Clinic Martin South, refused medical treatment, then taken to the Martin County Jail in Stuart. He was released on a $1,000 bond around 11 p.m., after approximately eight hours in custody.

A probable cause affidavit released March 31 filled in critical detail. Deputies found two hydrocodone pills marked "M367" in Woods' left pants pocket. He told deputies he had not been drinking but had taken "a few" prescription medications earlier that day. Deputy Tatiana Levenar's affidavit described him as sweating profusely, with bloodshot glassy eyes, extremely dilated pupils, and lethargic movement. Woods told police he had been looking at his phone and changing the radio station when he failed to notice the truck slowing ahead of him.

He was charged with two misdemeanors: DUI with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test. On March 31, his attorney Douglas Duncan, who also represented him in the 2017 DUI case, entered a not guilty plea and demanded a jury trial. Arraignment is set for April 23 in Martin County Circuit Court.

In a social media statement, Woods wrote: "I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in today. 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."

Florida law sets a maximum of nine months in jail for a DUI conviction. Woods' prior record is expected to factor into any sentencing; in 2017, he avoided jail with a guilty plea to the lesser charge of reckless driving, receiving 12 months of probation and 50 hours of community service. Legal observers say that outcome is unlikely to repeat: hydrocodone was found in his system in 2017 and in his pocket in 2026, with the same attorney defending him both times.

Three days before the crash, Woods had captained the Jupiter Links team in the TGL indoor golf championship, his first competitive play since The Open Championship in July 2024. He had spent nearly two years sidelined by a torn Achilles tendon and disc replacement surgery in October 2025, his second back operation in 13 months. A 15-time major champion and 82-time PGA Tour winner who has competed in just 11 tournaments since his 2021 leg-injury crash in Rolling Hills Estates, California, he was widely expected to return at The Masters, April 9 through 12 at Augusta National. He had been scheduled to appear alongside Masters chairman Fred R. Ridley on April 5. He will not compete.

A month after his 2017 arrest, Woods sought clinic treatment for prescription pain dependency and a sleep disorder. That recovery held, until it didn't.