The court proceedings in the case against Tiger Woods have started.
On Tuesday afternoon, Woods pleaded not guilty to DUI charges stemming from a crash that occurred in Jupiter, Fla. on Friday afternoon, according to court documents obtained GOLF. The 15-time major champion also retained the services of Douglas Duncan, the attorney who worked on his 2017 DUI case after Woods was found asleep at the wheel of his car and tested positive for five different substances in a toxicology report. Ultimately, two misdemeanor charges against Woods were dismissed in that case, and the golfer pleaded guilty only to reckless driving.
Woods, 50, became the talk of golf in the week leading up to the Masters after he crashed his car on a one-lane road in Jupiter, Fla. on Friday afternoon. The crash, which occurred when Woods was trying to pass a turning truck with a trailer attached, resulted in Woods’ Range Rover tipping onto the driver’s side. After police responded to the scene, officers observed Woods “sweating profusely” and appearing “tired and walking slowly,” according to the affidavit. After conducting a sobriety test on the 15-time major champion, an officer from the Martin County Sheriff’s Department charged him with Driving Under the Influence.
After searching the crash site, police also found two hydrocodone pills in Woods’ pocket. The well-defined opioid was one of several things that came up in Woods’ toxicology report back in 2017. On Tuesday afternoon, Woods announced his intention to seek medical treatment for unspecified issues.
“I know them and I understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in today,” said Woods. “I am taking time off to seek treatment and focus on my health. This is necessary for the form to prioritize my well-being and work towards a lasting recovery.”
Friday’s incident wasn’t Woods’ first serious accident behind the wheel. In 2021, he badly injured his right leg after a one-car accident in Rolling Hills Estates, Calif. while on his way to a photography magazine. At the time of that crash, Woods’ car’s cameraman followed him as he drove nearly twice the speed limit. The “jaws of life” were needed to pull him out of danger, and Woods’ leg was badly injured. In a report from Friday’s DUI, the Martin County Sheriff’s Department cites Woods as saying he has had more than 20 surgeries on his leg since the 2021 injury.
Before Friday, a general swell of anticipation had begun to surround Woods’ golf game. The 82-time PGA Tour winner was back in competitive golf for the first time since rupturing his achilles in March of last year, competing in the TGL final just two weeks before the Masters. Regardless of how he plays, Woods was scheduled to be in Augusta for the official reopening of The Patch, a local municipal course being renovated by Augusta National with the help of Woods’ design firm.
