Tiger Woods, 50, Charged With DUI After Florida Rollover Crash; Stepping Away From Golf to Seek Treatment

Tiger Woods, one of the most celebrated athletes in sports history, was charged with driving under the influence on April 1, 2026, following a rollover crash in Jupiter Island, Florida, and announced he is stepping away from professional golf to seek treatment. The incident marks the latest chapter in a turbulent decade for the 50-year-old golf icon, who has battled injuries, personal crises, and multiple previous run-ins with the law.

The crash occurred on March 27, 2026, at approximately 2 p.m. near Jupiter Island when a Land Rover overtook a flatbed truck at high speed, swerved to avoid a pressure washer being towed by another vehicle, clipped it, and rolled onto the driver's side. Woods, who was alone in the vehicle, climbed out through the passenger door without apparent injury. No other drivers were hurt in the incident, according to Martin County Sheriff's deputies who responded to the scene.

Deputies arrested Woods at the scene on suspicion of DUI with property damage and refusal to submit to a chemical test — both misdemeanors under Florida law. Woods told officers he denied consuming alcohol but acknowledged taking prescription medication that morning, including hydrocodone pills that were later found in his pocket. Body camera footage released on April 2 captured a striking moment when Woods told a deputy he had been "talking to the president" at the time of the crash. Woods appeared in court on April 1 and pleaded not guilty to the DUI charges.

On March 31, days before his court appearance, Woods released a statement announcing he is stepping away from professional golf "for a period of time" to focus on his health and seek treatment. The timing means Woods will miss the 2026 Masters Tournament — the event he famously won in 2019 in one of sport's most celebrated comebacks after years of back surgeries. That 2019 victory had seemed to signal a return to greatness; instead, the years since have brought more physical setbacks and now renewed legal troubles.

This is not Woods' first DUI. In May 2017, he was found asleep behind the wheel of a car on a Florida roadside and was arrested on a DUI charge, later pleading guilty to reckless driving after completing a diversion program. He cited prescription pain medications as the cause in that incident as well. Woods has undergone five back surgeries and nearly had his right leg amputated following a severe single-car crash in February 2021 near Los Angeles, which required reconstructive surgery on his lower right leg and ankle.

The legal process for the current DUI charge is expected to unfold over coming months. Florida prosecutors will need to weigh the evidence, including the body camera footage, the circumstances of the crash, and the absence of a chemical test result — which Woods refused. His attorney has not commented publicly beyond the not-guilty plea. Legal experts note that refusal to submit to a chemical test carries its own penalties under Florida's implied consent laws, separate from the DUI charge itself.

For golf fans, the announcement that Woods is stepping away from the game carries enormous emotional weight. Woods has won 82 PGA Tour events — the most in the tour's history — and 15 major championships, second only to Jack Nicklaus's 18. His influence on golf's global popularity is difficult to overstate. Even in his diminished physical state in recent years, his presence at major events drew record television audiences. The 2026 Masters will proceed without him, a fact that tournament organizers and fans around the world received with sadness and concern.