Tiger Woods was released on bail late Friday after his Land Rover clipped a truck, rolled onto its side and investigators arrested the golfer on suspicion of driving under the influence. Authorities say the crash occurred on a residential road near his Jupiter Island home just before 2 p.m.
Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said officers found Woods driving at what they described as high speeds and observed signs of impairment. Deputies believe he had taken some form of medication or drug and described him as lethargic. Woods submitted to a Breathalyzer, which detected no alcohol, but declined to provide a urine sample; under Florida law he was required to remain in custody at least eight hours before he could post bail.
Woods was not hurt in the accident. His vehicle clipped the rear of a pressure-cleaning truck while he attempted to pass on a two-lane road with a 30 mph limit, causing the SUV to swerve, roll onto its driver side and come to rest. Woods crawled out of the vehicle and was taken into custody. Officials said his cooperation with deputies did not include providing a urine test and warned that without it they may never obtain definitive results about the substance involved.
The sheriff said Woods was held separately from other inmates for his safety. His manager at Excel Sports had not responded to requests for comment.
This is not Woods second run-in with authorities over impaired driving not related to alcohol. In 2017 he was found asleep at the wheel of a damaged vehicle; he told investigators at the time he had taken an unfortunate combination of pain medications and later pleaded guilty to reckless driving.
Asked about the incident while arriving in Miami for an investment summit, President Donald Trump, whose former daughter-in-law has been reported to be dating Woods, expressed sympathy, calling Woods a close friend and saying he felt badly about the situation.
The latest crash is at least the fourth significant vehicle incident involving Woods. In February 2021 his SUV left a coastal road in Los Angeles at high speed, producing severe leg and ankle injuries; surgeons later said amputation had been considered. Throughout his career Woods has also sustained major injuries to his left knee and back.
Woods rebounded from multiple back surgeries to win the 2019 Masters, his 15th major title, and his 82 PGA Tour victories are tied with Sam Snead for the career record. Since the 2021 Los Angeles crash, he has entered 11 tournaments, completing all four rounds only four times and never finishing closer than 16 shots to the winner in those starts.
The arrest comes as Woods was weighing whether he would play in the Masters, which begins April 9. He had been scheduled to be in Augusta on April 5 to unveil a course project with Masters chairman Fred Ridley. He also faces a soft deadline to decide whether he will serve as U.S. Ryder Cup captain for the 2027 matches in Ireland.
Woods, 50, has been rehabilitating from his seventh back surgery performed in September. His last official tournament was the 2024 British Open; in March 2025 he ruptured his Achilles tendon and was sidelined even before the back procedure. He did, however, appear in an indoor TGL event on Tuesday night.
Off the course Woods continues to play an active role in PGA Tour affairs as chair of the Future Competition Committee, which is working on restructuring the tour’s competition model.
