Tiger Woods was released on bail late Friday after his Land Rover clipped a truck, rolled onto its side and the golfer was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, officials said.
Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said Woods had been driving at “high speeds” on a residential road and showed “signs of impairment.” Investigators believe he had taken some kind of medication or drug. Budensiek described Woods as lethargic. Woods agreed to a Breathalyzer, which showed no alcohol, but refused a urine test and was arrested. Florida law required him to spend at least eight hours in jail before he could post bail.
Woods, who was not injured in the crash, was held separately from other inmates, Budensiek said, adding he would be kept apart so others “could not hurt him or try to capitalize on what he did.”
Woods’ manager at Excel Sports did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This is the second time Woods has been arrested in a DUI case not tied to alcohol. In 2017 authorities found him asleep behind the wheel with the engine running and damage to the driver’s side; he said he had taken a bad mix of painkillers and later pleaded guilty to reckless driving.
Asked about Woods as he arrived in Miami for an investment summit, President Donald Trump — whose former daughter-in-law is dating Woods — said, “I feel so badly. He’s got some difficulty. Very close friend of mine. He’s an amazing person. Amazing man. But, some difficulty.”
The crash happened just before 2 p.m. near Woods’ home on Jupiter Island. Budensiek said Woods attempted to pass a pressure-cleaning truck on a two-lane road with a 30 mph speed limit. Authorities could not determine his exact speed. As Woods tried to pass, his Land Rover swerved to avoid a collision, clipped the back of the truck’s trailer, rolled onto its driver’s side and Woods crawled out.
The sheriff said Woods was “cooperative” but not trying to incriminate himself, and noted Woods has the right to refuse a urine test; investigators warned that without it “they will never get definitive results” about what he was impaired by.
This was the fourth crash involving Woods. In February 2021 his SUV left a coastal road in Los Angeles at high speed, causing multiple leg and ankle injuries; doctors later said amputation had been considered. Woods has also suffered significant injuries to his left knee and back during his career.
Woods returned from multiple back surgeries to win the 2019 Masters, his 15th major, and his 82 PGA Tour victories tie the career record with Sam Snead. Since the 2021 Los Angeles crash he has played 11 tournaments, finishing all 72 holes only four times and never closer than 16 shots to the winner in those events.
The arrest comes as Woods was deciding whether he was fit to play the Masters, which begins April 9. He was scheduled to be in Augusta on April 5 to unveil a golf course project with Masters chairman Fred Ridley. He also faced a “soft deadline” to decide whether to serve as U.S. Ryder Cup captain for the 2027 matches in Ireland.
Woods, 50, had been working his way back from a seventh back surgery in September. His last official tournament was the 2024 British Open. He ruptured his Achilles tendon in March 2025, which sidelined him for the season even before the back surgery. He did play in an indoor TGL event on Tuesday night.
Off the course, Woods remains active in PGA Tour matters as chair of the Future Competition Committee, which is restructuring the tour’s competition model.
