03/27/26 11:38:00
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03/27 23:37 CDT Tiger Woods released on bail hours after arrest at crash scene
on suspicion of DUI
Tiger Woods released on bail hours after arrest at crash scene on suspicion of
DUI
By CODY JACKSON and DOUG FERGUSON
Associated Press
JUPITER ISLAND, Fla. (AP) --- Tiger Woods was released on bail Friday, hours
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.
Christine Weiss, a spokesperson for the Martin County Sheriff's Office, said
Woods, who was not injured in the crash, was released late Friday. Florida law
required that he spend at least eight hours in jail before he could post bail.
The bail amount wasn't immediately known.
Woods had been traveling at "high speeds" on a residential road and after the
crash showed "signs of impairment," Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said,
adding that investigators believe he had taken some kind of medication or drug.
He described Woods as lethargic and said he agreed to a Breathalyzer test that
showed no signs of alcohol, but he refused a urine test and was arrested.
Woods had been held separate from others at the jail, Budensiek said.
"He's not going to be with other inmates that could hurt him or try to
capitalize on what he did," he said. "He'll pay the price, but he's not going
to pay the price by getting punished in jail."
Woods' manager at Excel Sports did not immediately respond to a text message
seeking comment.
It was the second time Woods has been arrested for a DUI not as a result of the
influence of alcohol. He said he took a bad mix of painkillers when authorities
found him in 2017 asleep behind the wheel of his car, the engine still running
and its driver's side damaged. Woods pleaded guilty then to reckless driving.
President Donald Trump, whose former daughter-in-law is dating Woods, was asked
about the golfer when he landed in Miami on Friday afternoon for an investment
summit.
"I feel so badly. He's got some difficulty," Trump said. "Very close friend of
mine. He's an amazing person. Amazing man. But, some difficulty."
The crash occurred just before 2 p.m. not far from where Woods lives on Jupiter
Island.
Budensiek said Woods attempted to pass a pressure cleaner truck while driving
on a two-lane road with a 30 mph (48 kph) speed limit. He said authorities
could not determine how fast Woods was going.
The Land Rover swerved to avoid a collision as he was passing the truck but
clipped the back end of the truck's trailer, Budensiek said. Woods' car then
rolled onto its driver's side and he crawled out.
The sheriff said Woods was "cooperative, but he's not trying to incriminate
himself." He said Woods has the right to refuse the urine test and that
authorities "will never get definitive results with what he was impaired on."
This was the fourth time Woods has been involved in a car crash, most recently
in February 2021 when his SUV ran off a coastal road in Los Angeles at a high
rate of speed, leading to multiple leg and ankle injuries. Woods said later
doctors considered amputation. He also previously sustained multiple injuries
to his left knee and his back during his golf career.
Woods returned from multiple back surgeries to win the 2019 Masters for his
15th major. His 82 titles on the PGA Tour is tied for the career record with
Sam Snead. Since that LA crash, he has played 11 tournaments without being
closer than 16 shots to the winner the four times he was able to finish 72
holes.
Friday's arrest comes as Woods was trying to decide if he was fit enough to
play the Masters, which starts April 9. He also was to be in Augusta, Georgia,
on April 5 to unveil a golf course project with Masters chairman Fred Ridley.
Woods also was days away from what was described as a "soft deadline" to decide
whether to be the U.S. Ryder Cup captain for the 2027 matches in Ireland.
Woods, 50, had been working his way back to golf from a seventh back surgery in
September.
His last official tournament was the British Open in 2024. Woods ruptured his
Achilles tendon in March 2025 and that kept him off the course all season even
before the back surgery. He managed to play in his indoor TGL golf league on
Tuesday night.
He has remained deeply involved in PGA Tour affairs as chair of the Future
Competition Committee that is restructuring the model of the tour.
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This story has been updated to correct that Tiger Woods won his last Masters in
2019, not 2018.
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Ferguson reported from Jacksonville, Florida. Associated Press writer Audrey
McAvoy in Honolulu contributed.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
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