American golfer arrested in connection with rollover accident in Florida that resulted in no significant injuries.
Published on 28 March 2026
Tiger Woods was released on bail late Friday, hours after his Land Rover collided with a truck and overturned, and the golfer was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, authorities said.
Martin County Sheriff John Budencik said Woods was traveling at a “high speed” on a residential road and showed “signs of impairment” after the crash, adding that investigators believe he had taken some type of drug.
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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.
The crash occurred just before 2 p.m. (18:00 GMT), not far from where Woods lives on Jupiter Island.
Woods was booked into the Stuart County Jail around 3 p.m. According to Budencik, he was released on bail eight hours later, the minimum allowed under state law.
Woods, who was not injured in the crash, was kept separate from others in the jail, Budencik said.
He said Woods attempted to pass a pressure cleaner truck while driving on a two-lane road with a speed limit of 48 kilometers per hour (30 mph). He said officers could not determine how fast Woods was going.
Budenciak said the Land Rover swerved to avoid being hit by the truck as it passed, but collided with the back of the truck’s trailer. After this, Woods’ car rolled on 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 had the right to refuse a urine test and that officials “will never get definitive results regarding his impairment”.
This was the second time Woods, 50, was arrested for DUI, not under the influence of alcohol. He said that when officers found him asleep behind the wheel of his car in 2017, he had taken a bad mix of painkillers, the engine was still running and his driver’s side was damaged. Woods then pleaded guilty to careless driving.
This was the fourth time Woods has been involved in a car accident, most recently in February 2021, when his SUV went off at high speed on a coastal road in Los Angeles, causing multiple injuries to his foot and ankle. Woods later said that doctors considered amputation.
Even before this, he had suffered several injuries to his left knee and back during his golf career.
Woods returned from multiple back surgeries to win his 15th major title at the 2019 Masters. His 82 titles on the PGA Tour tie the career record with Sam Snead. Since the L.A. crash, he has played in 11 tournaments and came no closer than 16 shots to the winner, four times only to complete 72 holes.
Friday’s arrest came as Woods was trying to decide whether he was fit enough to play the Masters, which begins April 9. He was also to be in Augusta, Georgia, on April 5 to unveil a golf course project with Masters chairman Fred Ridley.
Woods was days away from what was described as a “soft deadline” to decide whether he will be the US Ryder Cup captain for the 2027 matches in Ireland.
He was attempting to return to golf after his seventh back surgery in September.
His last official tournament was the British Open in 2024. Woods tore his Achilles tendon in March 2025, keeping him off the course the entire season, even before undergoing back surgery. He was able to play in his indoor TGL golf league on Tuesday night.
“I’m trying to. Let’s put it this way,” Woods said when asked about playing again at the Genesis Invitational near Los Angeles last month.
“Disc replacement has been one thing… I had a fused back and now have a disc replacement, so it’s challenging.”
