Four days after his Florida rollover crash, Tiger Woods said he is stepping away from golf and other pursuits to seek treatment and focus on his health.
The legendary golfer was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. He will miss the Masters for the second year in a row.
“I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in today. I am stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health,” Woods said in social media posts. “It is necessary to prioritize my well-being and work towards a permanent recovery.”
He said he was committed to taking the time needed to get back to a “healthier, stronger and more focused place, both personally and professionally.”
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This is the second time Woods has taken time off after a car accident. He took a leave of absence in 2009 to work on being a better person. That lasted four months and he returned to the Masters.
Tiger Woods will take a break from the PGA Tour board
According to the Associated Press, Tiger Woods is “retiring” from more than just golf.
Woods plays a key role on the PGA Tour board by leading its Future Competition Committee and changing the schedule. However, he did not participate in Tuesday’s meeting, the AP quoted a PGA Tour spokesman as saying.
“My thoughts are with him and his family as he makes this move, for which he has my full respect and support,” said PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp.
Woods has not played an official event since the 2024 British Open. He was recovering from a seventh back operation in October and was attempting to return to the Masters, where he is a five-time champion.
Woods will not be in Augusta, Ga., where he was scheduled to appear with Masters chairman Fred Ridley to celebrate the opening of a renovated community course that included Woods or the prestigious Masters Club Dinner for Champions.
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Tiger Woods pleaded not guilty
Tiger Woods pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence in Florida on Tuesday.
However, a sheriff’s report hours earlier said deputies found two pain pills in his pocket and he showed signs of damage after his SUV clipped a trailer and flipped onto its side.
The AP report said an online court file for Martin County showed that Woods entered a written plea of not guilty and planned to waive the charges on April 23.
Toger Woods showed signs of damage
Tiger Woods’ eyes were bloodshot and glassy, his pupils were dilated and he had opioid pills, identified as hydrocodone, on him when questioned at the scene of the crash, according to an arrest report released by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.
Woods’ movements were slow and lethargic, sweating as he spoke to deputies in the back seat of an air-conditioned car, telling them he had taken prescription medication earlier in the morning, according to the report.
Woods told deputies he was looking at his phone and fiddling with the radio moments before he crashed into the trailer, the report said.
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Tiger Woods failed a field sobriety test
During a field sobriety test, deputies noticed Woods was limping and wearing a compression sock over his right knee, according to an AP report.
Woods reportedly explained that he had seven back surgeries and more than 20 surgeries on his right leg and that his ankle would seize up when he walked.
The report also claimed that Woods, who had hiccups during the interrogation, kept moving his head during one of the field sobriety tests. Deputies had to tell him several times to keep his head straight, according to the report.
“Based on my observations of Woods as he performed the exercises and based on my training, knowledge and experience, I believed that Woods’ normal abilities were impaired and he was unable to safely operate a motor vehicle,” the deputy wrote after the tests.
