The plea comes hours after a sheriff’s report said the golfer showed signs of impairment at the scene of last week’s accident.
Published on 31 March 2026
Golfer Tiger Woods pleaded not guilty Tuesday to driving under the influence in Florida, hours after a sheriff’s report said he had pain pills and showed signs of being impaired at the scene of a crash last week.
Martin County, Florida’s online court docket showed Woods has entered a written plea of not guilty and plans to waive his appearance at an arraignment hearing next month.
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When Woods was interviewed at the crash scene, his eyes were bloodshot and glassy, his pupils were dilated and he had opioid pills in his pocket, according to an arrest report released by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the report, the golfer’s gait was slow and sluggish, and he was sweating as he spoke to deputies and told them he had taken prescription medication in the morning. Woods told deputies he was looking at his phone and fiddling with the radio when a truck pulled up in front of him, the report said.
Deputies found two white pills in his pocket, identified as the opioid hydrocodone, which was used to treat pain, the report said.
When a deputy asked if he took any prescription medications, Woods said, “I take some.”
Woods’ agent, Mark Steinberg at Excel Sports, did not respond to multiple messages seeking comment.
The golfer was traveling at high speed on a beachside, residential road on Jupiter Island when his Land Rover collided with a truck and rolled over on its side, according to the sheriff’s office, which noted that Woods had shown signs of impairment.
According to the report, damage to the truck was $5,000.
The truck driver and another person helped Woods out of his vehicle, while the golfer had to get out from the passenger side. Neither Woods nor the truck driver were injured.
During field sobriety testing, deputies noticed Woods limping and a compression stocking on his right knee. The golfer told that he has had seven back surgeries and more than 20 leg surgeries and his ankle gets stuck while walking. The report states that Woods, who was hiccuping during questioning, was constantly shaking his head during the sobriety test and the deputy had to instruct him several times to keep his head straight.
After the test the deputy wrote, “Based on my observations of Woods, how he exercised, and based on my training, knowledge, and experience, I believe that Woods’ general abilities were impaired, and he was unable to safely operate a motor vehicle.”
Woods, 50, is one of the most influential figures 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 enthralled golf fans with records that will likely never be broken.
But his injuries have prevented him from achieving much more, including injuries sustained in a 2021 car accident in which his right leg was so badly damaged that doctors considered amputation.
In this latest crash, Woods agreed to a breathalyzer test, which showed no signs of alcohol, but he refused a urine test, authorities said. He was arrested and released on bail after eight hours.
No one from Woods’ camp or the PGA Tour — he is on the board and chairs the committee reshaping the tournament model — has commented since his arrest.
Woods, who has been involved in several accidents over the past few years, has been charged with driving under the influence, damage to property and refusing a lawful test. He is scheduled to stand trial on April 23. Online court records do not list an attorney for him.
Under a change in Florida law last year, it becomes a crime to refuse a law enforcement officer’s request for a breath, blood or urine test, even in the first instance.
