Fifteen-time major winner Tiger Woods pleaded no contest to a reckless driving charge Wednesday, striking a deal with Martin County, Florida, prosecutors that let him avoid the more serious DUI charge tied to his March 27 rollover crash on Jupiter Island and cost him his driver’s license for five years. With the case now resolved, President Donald Trump has offered a blunt reaction to the outcome.
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“He suffers great pain, great pain. It’s a very tough situation because they didn’t find alcohol on him,” Trump said during a press conference. “He didn’t test positive at all for alcohol … but he had a back operation that did not work out well. And he is under pain. And so it’s a tough deal when you’re taking a painkiller because you’re under pain and tremendous pain and you have a problem and you test positive.”
Trump then turned to how Woods would avoid a repeat: “He would have told him that. I mean, it’s a prescription painkiller, but I thought it was very fair. I mean, I think he’s going to have somebody drive him. I told him that a long time ago. Why didn’t you get somebody to drive you? So he’s going to have somebody drive him from now on. And he’s just a very special guy. I’m glad, I’m glad that was resolved.”
This, of course, comes after Woods accepted a five-year suspension of his license alongside a $1,000 fine in his plea agreement with Martin County, Florida, prosecutors.
The whole thing began when Woods’ car clipped a truck and rolled over. He was later arrested. As Trump pointed out, Woods passed a breathalyser test. However, he declined to participate in any further testing for other drugs in his system. Fortunately, no one was injured, even though Woods had to crawl his way out of the car through the passenger door after the crash.
Later that same month, Woods pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges of DUI and refusal to submit to tests. In April, police released the body cam footage of the incident, which showed a calm Woods kneeling as he told officers what had led to the accident.
“I looked down at my phone, and all of a sudden, boom,” he said.
The golf legend continued to maintain that he had not consumed alcohol that day. However, when asked whether he had taken any medication, Woods confirmed that he had, saying he’d taken it earlier that morning. He also provided officers with a list of the medications he was taking, although that information has since been redacted. Officers did find a couple of pills in his pocket.
The pills were identified as hydrocodone, an opioid commonly prescribed to treat pain. During a press conference, Florida State Attorney Thomas Bakkedahl said he was confident in the outcome of the case following the hearing. He emphasized that his office sought to treat Woods no differently from any other defendant, stressing that the golfer’s celebrity status did not influence the resolution.
Following the incident, Woods himself addressed the situation on social media, acknowledging its seriousness. He said he was stepping away from golf for a period to seek treatment and focus on his health, adding that the decision was necessary to prioritize his well-being and work toward a lasting recovery.
But this wasn’t Woods’ first car crash.
Tiger Woods’ history of car crashes
Tiger Woods’ history of car crashes stretches back nearly two decades, with four major incidents since 2009. His first high-profile crash came in November 2009, when Woods drove his SUV into a fire hydrant and a tree outside his Florida home.
He was cited for careless driving, and the incident was followed by revelations about his personal life and a prolonged break from golf. In May 2017, Woods was arrested on suspicion of DUI after police found him asleep behind the wheel of his Mercedes in Jupiter, Florida.
He later pleaded guilty to reckless driving after an unexpected reaction to prescription medication left him impaired. The most serious crash came in February 2021, when Woods rolled his SUV in Los Angeles while driving more than 80 mph. He broke bones in his right leg and ankle and needed emergency surgery.
With the case closed and his license gone for five years, Woods still hasn’t said whether he’ll use a driver going forward. He was cited for careless driving in 2009 with no signs of impairment, then arrested for DUI in 2017 and drove himself home both times. What he does the next time he’s behind the wheel will settle that.