03/31/26 06:14:00
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03/31 18:12 CDT Tiger Woods says he'll seek treatment after pleading not guilty
to DUI
Tiger Woods says he'll seek treatment after pleading not guilty to DUI
By MIKE SCHNEIDER
Associated Press
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) --- Tiger Woods said he'll step away and seek treatment on
Tuesday, days after his vehicle crashed in Florida and he was arrested on
suspicion of driving under the influence.
"This is necessary in order for me to prioritize my well-being and work toward
lasting recovery," he said in a post on the social media platform X.
Woods pleaded not guilty in his driving under the influence case in Florida on
Tuesday, hours after a sheriff's report said he had pain pills in his pocket
and showed signs of impairment at a crash last week.
The online court docket for Martin County, Florida, showed Woods entered a
written plea of not guilty and planned to waive his appearance during an
arraignment hearing next month.
Woods' eyes were bloodshot and glassy, his pupils dilated and he had opioid
pills on him when interviewed at the scene of the crash, according to the
arrest report released by the Martin County Sheriff's Office.
Woods' movements were slow and lethargic, he was sweating as he talked to
deputies and told them he had taken prescription medication earlier in the
morning, according to the report. Woods told deputies he had been looking at
his phone and fiddling with the radio before he clipped a truck in front of
him, the report said.
Deputies found two white pills, which were identified as the opioid hydrocodone
used to treat pain, in his pocket, the report said.
When asked by a deputy if he took any prescription medications, Woods said, "I
take a few."
Woods' defense attorney, Douglas Duncan, didn't respond to an email and phone
call after the plea was entered on Tuesday.
Woods' agent at Excel Sports, Mark Steinberg, has not responded to multiple
messages seeking comment.
The golfer was traveling at high speeds on a beachside, residential road on
Jupiter Island when his Land Rover clipped the truck and rolled onto its side,
according to the sheriff's office, which noted Woods showed signs of impairment.
The truck had $5,000 in damage, according to the report.
The truck driver and another person helped Woods out of his vehicle, with the
golfer needing to climb out from the passenger side. Neither Woods nor the
truck driver were injured.
During a field sobriety test, deputies noticed Woods limping and that he had a
compression sock over his right knee. The golfer explained he had undergone
seven back surgeries and over 20 leg operations and that his ankle seizes up
while walking. Woods, who was hiccupping during the questioning, continuously
moved his head during one of the sobriety tests and deputies had to instruct
him several times to keep his head straight, the report said.
"Based on my observations of Woods, how he performed the exercises and based on
my training, knowledge, and experience, I believed that Woods normal faculties
were impaired, and he was unable to safely operate the motor vehicle," the
deputy wrote after the tests.
Woods, 50, is the most influential figure in golf and has become as
recognizable as any athlete in the world. The first person of Black heritage to
win the Masters in 1997, he has captivated golf fans with records likely never
to be broken.
But his injuries kept him from accomplishing more, including those suffered in
a 2021 car crash that damaged his right leg so badly he said doctors considered
amputation.
At this latest crash, Woods agreed to a Breathalyzer test that showed no signs
of alcohol, but he refused a urine test, authorities said. He was arrested and
released on bail eight hours later.
No one from Woods' camp or the PGA Tour -- he is on the board and is chairman
of the committee reshaping the competition model -- have commented since his
arrest.
Woods, who has been involved in many crashes over the years, is charged with
driving under the influence with property damage and refusal to submit to a
lawful test. He is scheduled for arraignment April 23.
Under a change to Florida law last year, refusing a law enforcement officer's
request to take a breath, blood or urine test became a misdemeanor, even for a
first offense.
___
AP Golf Writer Doug Ferguson in Jacksonville, Florida, contributed to this
report.
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Follow Mike Schneider on the social platform Bluesky: @mikeysid.bsky.social.
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