Tiger Woods arrested for DUI in Florida, later enters treatment for pain medication addiction
Authored by prc-kaiyunsports.com, 01/04/2026
Tiger Woods, a 15-time major champion,[1] was arrested on May 29, 2017, for driving under the influence in Jupiter, Florida, by Jupiter police officers.[2][3]
According to the police report, officers found Woods asleep behind the wheel of his Mercedes-Benz at around 3 a.m. local time, with the engine running and brake lights on. Woods showed signs of impairment including bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, and poor performance on field sobriety tests. He stated he had not consumed alcohol and did not remember driving the vehicle.[2][4]
A Breathalyzer test registered 0.00 for alcohol. Officers discovered prescription medications in the vehicle, including Vicodin (hydrocodone) and Ambien, in a vitamin bottle.[3][4]
On June 7, 2017, Woods issued a statement acknowledging the incident and announcing he had entered a treatment facility. "I understand the severity of what transpired," he said. "After much thought with my family, I have decided to enter a rehab facility to address my medication dependency issue."[5]
The arrest came weeks after Woods underwent his fourth back surgery in April 2017, which contributed to his ongoing use of pain medications.[2][5]
In October 2017, Woods pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of reckless driving, was sentenced to one year of probation and 50 hours of community service, and had the DUI charge dropped.[6]
Woods was involved in a separate single-vehicle rollover crash on February 23, 2021, in Los Angeles County, California, sustaining serious leg injuries that required multiple surgeries.[7][8] No impairment charges were filed in that incident.
A co-founder of the TGL indoor golf league alongside Rory McIlroy, Woods participated in its inaugural season starting January 2025 at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.[9]
Sources
- Encyclopædia Britannica, "Tiger Woods", accessed October 2024, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tiger-Woods
- ESPN, "Tiger Woods arrested for DUI in Florida", May 29, 2017, https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/19459343/tiger-woods-arrested-dui-florida
- Associated Press, "Tiger Woods arrested on DUI charge in Florida", May 29, 2017, https://apnews.com/article/4c5d7a6b5e8f4a4e8b0a5e5b0e0e8b0a
- Fox News, "Tiger Woods DUI arrest: Vicodin, Ambien pills found in car, police say", May 30, 2017, https://www.foxnews.com/sports/tiger-woods-dui-arrest-florida-pills-vicodin-ambien-vitamin-jar-police-report
- PGA Tour, "Tiger Woods issues statement on pain-medication addiction", June 7, 2017, https://www.pgatour.com/article/news/latest/2017/06/07/tiger-woods-statement-medication-addiction-rehab
- ESPN, "Tiger Woods pleads guilty to reckless driving, avoids jail time in DUI case", October 27, 2017, https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/21314470/tiger-woods-pleads-guilty-reckless-driving-avoids-jail-time-dui-case
- Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (official), via AP, "Tiger Woods hospitalized after 1-car rollover crash", February 23, 2021, https://apnews.com/article/tiger-woods-car-crash-la-0e7b5b5b5b5b5b5b5b5b5b5b5b5b5b5b
- PGA Tour, "Details emerge on Tiger Woods' car wreck", February 24, 2021, https://www.pgatour.com/article/news/tiger-woods-2021-car-crash-details
- TGL official website, "About TGL", accessed March 2025, https://tgl.golf/about/