JUPITER ISLAND, Fla. (AP) — Tiger Forest was released on bail late Friday, hours after his Land Rover clipped a truck, rolled on its side and the golfer was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, officials said.
Woods was driving at a “high rate of speed” on a residential road and showed “signs of impairment” after the crash, Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said, adding that investigators believe he had taken some form of medication or drugs. He described Woods as lethargic and said he consented to a breathalyzer test that showed no signs of alcohol, but he refused a urine test and was arrested.
Florida law required him to spend at least eight hours in jail before he could be released on bail.
Woods, who was not injured in the crash, was being held separately from others in the jail, Budensiek said.
“He will not be with other inmates who could hurt him or try to profit from what he has done,” he said. “He will pay the price, but he will not pay the price by being punished in prison.”
Woods’ manager at Excel Sports did not immediately respond to a text message seeking comment.
It was the second time Woods was arrested for driving under the influence, not as a result of alcohol influence. He said he had been taking a bad combination of painkillers when authorities found him asleep behind the wheel of his car in 2017, with the engine running and the driver’s side damaged. Woods then pleaded guilty to reckless driving.
President Donald Trump, whose former daughter-in-law is dating Woods, was asked about the golfer as he landed in Miami for an investment summit on Friday afternoon.
“I feel so bad. He’s got some problems,” Trump said. “A very good friend of mine. He’s a great person. Great man. But there are some problems.”
The crash happened just before 2 p.m., not far from where Woods lives on Jupiter Island.
Budensiek said Woods tried to pass a pressure washer truck while driving on a two-lane road with a speed limit of 30 miles per hour. He said authorities could not determine how fast Woods was going.
The Land Rover swerved to avoid a collision as it passed the truck, but struck the rear of the truck’s trailer, Budensiek said. Woods’ car then rolled onto its driver’s side and he crawled out.
The sheriff said Woods “was cooperative, but he is not trying to incriminate himself.” He said Woods has the right to refuse the urine test and that authorities “will never get definitive results as to what he suffered.”
This was the fourth time Woods has been involved in a car accidentmost recently in February 2021 when his SUV ran off a Los Angeles coastal highway at high speed, leading to multiple leg and ankle injuries. Woods said doctors later considered amputation. He also previously suffered multiple injuries to his left knee and back during his golf career.
Woods returned from multiple back surgeries to win the 2019 Masters for his 15th major. His 82 titles on the PGA Tour are tied for the career record with Sam Snead. Since that crash in LA, he has played 11 tournaments without being closer than 16 shots to the winner, the four times he has completed 72 holes.
Friday’s arrest comes as Woods tried to decide whether he was fit enough to play the Masters, which starts on April 9. He was also scheduled to be in Augusta, Georgia on April 5 to unveil a golf course project with Masters chairman Fred Ridley.
Woods was also days away from what was described as a “soft deadline” to decide whether he would become the US Ryder Cup captain for the 2027 matches in Ireland.
Woods, 50, was finding his way back to golf after a seventh back surgery in September.
His last official tournament was the British Open in 2024. Woods tore his Achilles tendon in March 2025, which kept him off the court for the entire season even before the back surgery. He managed to play in his indoor TGL golf competition on Tuesday evening.
He has remained deeply involved in PGA Tour affairs as chairman of the Future Competition Committee that is restructuring the tour’s model.
This story has been updated to correct that Tiger Woods won his last Masters in 2019, not 2018.
Ferguson reported from Jacksonville, Florida. Associated Press writer Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu contributed.
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