Golf legend Tiger Woods was arrested on Friday on suspicion of driving under influence following a single-vehicle rollover crash near his Jupiter Island residence in Florida — the latest in a series of serious incidents that have shadowed one of sport’s most celebrated careers.
The Crash
Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said Woods was behind the wheel of a Land Rover when the vehicle overturned shortly before 2pm on a narrow two-lane road. According to investigators, Woods was travelling at high speed on a road with a 30mph limit when he attempted to overtake a truck that had begun slowing to turn into a driveway. The Land Rover clipped the truck’s trailer, veered off the road, and came to rest on its driver’s side after sliding along the tarmac.
Woods, who was alone in the vehicle, managed to exit through the passenger side door.
Investigators on the scene observed signs of impairment and subjected Woods to roadside sobriety tests before taking him into custody. A breath test returned no trace of alcohol, leading authorities to conclude that any impairment was likely linked to medication or drugs. No substances were recovered from the vehicle. Woods declined to submit to a urinalysis test and was subsequently charged with DUI with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test. He was later released on bail.
Friday’s incident is not the first time Woods has found himself in legal or physical peril away from the fairways. In 2017, police in south Florida discovered the golf icon asleep behind the wheel of a damaged vehicle — an arrest that ended with Woods pleading guilty to reckless driving after acknowledging he had taken a problematic combination of prescription medications.
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More gravely, in February 2021, his SUV veered off a coastal road in Los Angeles at high speed, leaving him with catastrophic leg and ankle injuries so severe that, by his own account, doctors had discussed the possibility of amputation.
The 50-year-old has been navigating an increasingly limited competitive schedule as he manages the cumulative toll of multiple injuries and surgical procedures, including a seventh back operation and a ruptured Achilles tendon. Woods has not featured in an official PGA Tour event since July 2024, though he made an appearance earlier this week in the TGL indoor golf league he co-founded alongside Rory McIlroy.
Friday’s arrest casts a fresh cloud over a comeback that was already fragile — and raises renewed questions about the road ahead for one of golf’s all-time greats.