Tiger Woods said Tuesday night that he is stepping away from competitive golf to seek treatment and focus on his health following his arrest last week.
The announcement on Woods’ social channels came four days after being arrested March 27 on three misdemeanor charges including suspicion of DUI. He has pled not guilty and retained criminal defense attorney Douglas Duncan, the same lawyer who represented Woods following his 2017 arrest for DUI.
“I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in today,” Woods said. “I am 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.
“I’m committed to taking the time needed to return in a healthier, stronger and more focused place, both personally and professionally. I appreciate your understanding and support, and ask for privacy for my family, loved ones and myself at this time.”
The PGA Tour followed with a statement saying that Woods will continue to have “our full support as he takes this important step.”
“Tiger Woods is one of the most influential figures the sports world has ever known,” Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said. “Over the last year, I have come to deeply appreciate Tiger not only for his impact on the game, but for his friendship and the perspective he has shared with me as I joined the golf industry. My thoughts are with him and his family as he takes this step, for which he has my full respect and support.”
This was a busy stretch for Woods as he tried to test his rebuilt body ahead of next week’s Masters. Unable to play competitively since the 2024 Open Championship because of injuries, he competed a week ago in his TGL league and said afterward that he was still uncertain whether he’d be able to play in the year’s first major following a seventh back surgery last fall. Woods was slated to be in Augusta, Ga., this weekend for the unveiling of the new par-3 course he helped design at The Patch. The five-time Masters champion had also previously said he’d be at Augusta National on Tuesday night for the annual Champions Dinner, even if he doesn’t ultimately participate in the tournament.
Off the course, Woods, 50, is heavily involved in the governance of the PGA Tour, heading the future competition committee that is looking to reshape the circuit’s competition model. He was also the PGA of America’s first choice to be the next U.S. Ryder Cup captain; the organization had reportedly given Woods a soft deadline at the end of this month to make a decision on the role.
Woods’ first public statement made clear all of those responsibilities are now on hold.
Earlier Tuesday, the Martin County’s Sheriff’s Office released an arrest affidavit that included details from Woods’ mid-afternoon arrest on March 27. Woods told authorities that he was looking down at his phone and changing the radio station when he failed to recognize that the truck ahead of him had slowed down, causing the rollover crash on a two-lane road a few miles from his home in Jupiter, Florida.
Responding officers noted in the report that Woods’ eyes were bloodshot and glassy, he was “sweating profusely,” and he was “lethargic and slow.” Woods told authorities that he’d taken prescription medication earlier that morning, and a deputy found two hydrocodone pills in his pants pocket.
A breathalyzer test showed no signs of alcohol, but Woods refused to submit to a urine test or blood test for other drugs, according to police.
Woods was released from Martin County Jail later that night.