Miami (AFP) – A Florida judge ruled Wednesday that Tiger Woods can leave the United States to seek “comprehensive inpatient treatment” after his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence. Woods’s attorney, Douglas Duncan, submitted the motion to travel in Martin County Court, citing the 50-year-old golfer’s urgent need for an “intensive, highly individualized and medically integrated program” as well as privacy from media and public scrutiny. Judge Darren Steele granted the motion after a teleconference on the matter.
Woods’s decision to “step away” from his golf-related activities in the wake of a rollover car accident on Friday means he will not captain the 2027 US Ryder Cup team, the PGA of America confirmed on Wednesday. Woods pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to misdemeanor charges of DUI with property damage and refusing to submit to a lawful test. A breathalyzer test showed no alcohol in his system at the time of the crash, but Woods refused a urine analysis.
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In requesting approval for Woods to leave the country, Duncan said Woods’s doctor had recommended the specific treatment facility “based upon the Defendant’s complex clinical presentation and the urgent need for a level of care that cannot safely or effectively be done within the United States, as his privacy has been repeatedly compromised.” Ongoing medical scrutiny and public exposure create significant barriers to his care and would result in setbacks and an inability to fully engage in treatment.
Woods has battled through numerous injuries in his career, including multiple back surgeries. In 2017 he was arrested on suspicion of DUI after police found him asleep at the wheel of his damaged car, with the engine running. Woods said he had taken a mix of painkillers, eventually pleading guilty to reckless driving and entering a treatment facility to seek help with managing prescription drugs. In February of 2021, Woods underwent emergency surgery for multiple compound fractures in his right leg and a shattered ankle after a rollover crash in California.
According to the accident report from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, Woods told officers he had had seven back surgeries and over 20 operations on his leg, advising them he has a limp and that one ankle seizes while walking. Woods told officers 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,” according to the report.
But Sheriff’s deputies described his movements as “lethargic and slow,” noting his eyes were “bloodshot and glassy.” Police said in the report that Woods was found with two hydrocodone pills, an opioid painkiller, and appeared unable to safely drive a vehicle when he was apprehended. Woods said in a statement posted to his social media accounts on Tuesday that he was “stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health.”
“This is necessary in order for me to prioritize my well-being and work toward lasting recovery,” he said.
Woods, who had surgery for a ruptured Achilles tendon in March of 2025 and a further back surgery in October, hasn’t competed in a top-level golf event since the 2024 British Open. But he has been playing a key role as chair of the PGA Tour’s Future Competition Committee created to help shape a new-look tour, and he confirmed in February he was contemplating accepting the role of Ryder Cup captain.
“We commend Tiger for prioritizing his long-term health and deeply respect the courage it takes to make such a personal decision,” the PGA of America said in their statement saying he had “shared with us” that he will not serve as captain. PGA Tour chief executive Brian Rolapp and Fred Ridley, chairman of Augusta National, offered equally supportive statements. Ridley said Augusta National and the Masters Tournament “fully support Tiger Woods as he focuses on his well-being.”
“Although Tiger will not be joining us in person next week, his presence will be felt here in Augusta,” Ridley said of the five-time Masters champion.
© 2024 AFP
