Tiger Woods had bloodshot eyes and appeared lethargic when he failed several field sobriety tests after crashing into another vehicle Friday, according to an arrest affidavit released Tuesday.
Woods told a sheriff’s deputy he was looking down at his cell phone and changing the radio station and did not notice the vehicle in front of him had slowed down, the affidavit said.
Two white pills identified as hydrocodone were found in Woods’ left pants pocket during a search after his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence, the affidavit said. Woods told deputies he had consumed no alcohol but said he takes “a few” prescription medications and had taken them earlier that morning.
Hydrocodone is a prescription opioid used to treat severe, chronic pain.
The crash marks the latest setback for Woods as the 50-year-old was attempting another comeback after years of injuries and car accidents.
The golf legend was driving a Land Rover when he clipped a pickup truck pulling a small trailer, Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said last week. The crash caused Woods’ SUV to roll onto its side.
“Our DUI investigators came to the scene here, and Mr. Woods did exemplify the signs of impairment,” Budensiek said. The 82-time PGA Tour winner was charged with driving under the influence, property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test – all misdemeanors.
Woods was sweating profusely and had bloodshot, glassy eyes and extremely dilated pupils, a Martin County sheriff’s deputy wrote in the affidavit. His movement was lethargic and slow, the deputy added.
Due to Woods’ physical limitations — he told deputies he has had seven back surgeries and more than 20 operations on his leg — the tests were conducted while he was seated. Woods made multiple errors, such as starting exercises before being instructed to do so; not counting steps correctly; and not returning his hand to his side as directed, according to the affidavit.
The deputy “believed that Woods’ normal faculties were impaired, and he was unable to safely operate the motor vehicle,” she wrote in the affidavit. Woods was arrested at approximately 3:12 p.m.
A breath test administered at the Martin County Jail registered 0.000 on both samples, indicating no alcohol was present, according to the affidavit. Woods refused to submit to a urine test to determine the presence of chemical or controlled substances.
Woods was not injured in the crash and was seen leaving the Martin County Jail late Friday, CNN affiliate WPBF reported.
The circumstances of his arrest bore similarities to his 2017 arrest, after which prescription drugs were found in his system, including hydrocodone.
Whether Woods returns to next month’s Masters Tournament remains in question after the latest in a series of auto incidents dating back to 2009, when he was cited for careless driving.
The 15-time major winner pleaded guilty to reckless driving in 2017 after he was arrested that May on suspicion of DUI. His 12-month probation was contingent on completing recommended treatment, including DUI school, 50 hours of community service and random drug and alcohol testing.
In 2021, Woods was hospitalized after a serious rollover crash in Los Angeles County that investigators ruled was an accident.
Since then, he has played in 11 tournaments but finished only four. Asked last week about a return to competitive golf, Woods said he was “trying,” but his “body doesn’t recover like when I was 24/25.”
“I’ve had a couple bad injuries here in the past year,” Woods told reporters after a TGL match. “I’ve had to fight through, it’s taken some time. But I keep trying. I want to play.”
