Tiger Woods says he'll seek
treatment after pleading not guilty to DUI
[April 01, 2026]
By MIKE SCHNEIDER
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Tiger Woods said Tuesday he is stepping away to
seek treatment, four days after his vehicle crashed in Florida and
he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. He will
miss the Masters for the second straight year.
“This is necessary in order for me to prioritize my well-being and
work toward lasting recovery,” Woods said in social media posts.
Woods pleaded not guilty in his driving under the influence case in
Florida on Tuesday, hours after a sheriff’s report said deputies
found two pain pills in his pocket and he showed signs of impairment
after his SUV clipped a trailer and rolled over on its side.
The online court docket for Martin County showed Woods entered a
written plea of not guilty and planned to waive his April 23
arraignment hearing.
It's the second time Woods has taken a leave following a car crash.
In 2009, after his SUV plowed into a fire hydrant and tree outside
his home near Orlando, he took a leave of absence to work on being a
better person. That lasted four months and he returned at the
Masters.
Woods showed signs of impairment
Woods’ eyes were bloodshot and glassy, his pupils dilated and he had
opioid pills — identified as hydrocodone — 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 in the back seat of an air-conditioned car and he
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 moments before he hit the trailer, the report said.
Woods has not played an official event since the 2024 British Open.
He was recovering from a seventh back surgery in October and was
trying to return at the Masters, where he is a five-time champion.
“I'm committed to take the time needed to return in a healthier,
stronger and more focused place, both personally and
professionally,” Woods said in his statement.
Woods will not be in Augusta, Georgia, where he was to appear with
Masters chairman Fred Ridley to celebrate the opening of a
refurbished municipal course that involved Woods, or for the
prestigious Masters Club dinner for champions.
“Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament fully support
Tiger Woods as he focuses on his well-being. Although Tiger will not
be joining us in person next week, his presence will be felt here in
Augusta,” Ridley said in a statement.
He is taking a break from the PGA Tour board
That means a break from more than just golf. He serves a key role on
the PGA Tour board by leading its Future Competition Committee
reshaping the schedule. A tour spokesman said Woods did not take
part in Tuesday's meeting, and the work would continue in his
absence.
“Over the last year, I have come to deeply appreciate Tiger not only
for his impact on the game, but for his friendship and the
perspective he has shared with me as I joined the golf industry,”
said PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp, who started last summer. “My
thoughts are with him and his family as he takes this step, for
which he has my full respect and support.”
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This photo provided by the Martin County Sheriff's Office shows skid
marks near the overturned vehicle in a rollover crash which involved
Tiger Woods in Jupiter Island, Fla., on Friday, March 27, 2026.
(Martin County Sheriff's Office via AP)
Woods’ defense attorney, Douglas Duncan, didn’t
respond to an email and phone call after the plea was entered
Tuesday.
Woods was traveling at high speeds on a beachside, residential road
on Jupiter Island with a 30 mph (nearly 50 kph) when the accident
occurred. The truck had $5,000 in damage, according to the report.
The truck driver and another person helped Woods out of his vehicle
through the passenger window. Neither Woods nor the truck driver
were injured.
The failed sobriety test
During a field sobriety test, deputies noticed Woods limping and
that he had a compression sock over his right knee. Woods explained
he had undergone seven back surgeries and over 20 surgeries on his
right leg, and that his ankle seizes up while walking.
Woods, who was hiccupping during questioning, continuously moved his
head during one of the sobriety tests and deputies had to tell 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 have kept him from accomplishing more, including
those suffered in the 2021 car crash in Los Angeles 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.
Woods, who has been involved in four crashes over the years, is
charged with driving under the influence with property damage and
refusal to submit to a lawful test.
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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