Washington (United States) (AFP) – Tiger Woods had his driver’s license suspended for five years on Wednesday after reaching a plea agreement in a case stemming from a rollover car crash in Florida in March. “If you were to drive for any reason at all you would go immediately back to jail,” Judge Darren Steele told the golf superstar during a livestreamed hearing held at the Martin County Courthouse in Stuart, Florida.
Woods initially faced the more serious offense of driving under the influence (DUI), but that was dropped under the terms of an agreement in which he pleaded no contest to lesser charges of careless and reckless driving. The 15-time major champion had potentially faced jail time if convicted of the DUI charge.
Woods was involved in a March 27 road accident near his Jupiter Island home in which his SUV clipped a truck pulling a trailer and flipped on its side while attempting to pass on a residential road. Authorities determined that the 50-year-old golfer had not been drinking alcohol but found that he appeared to be impaired. Woods, who has undergone multiple back operations and surgeries for severe leg injuries suffered in a 2021 California car crash, had two pills containing the opioid painkiller hydrocodone in his pocket. He refused a urinalysis and was charged, jailed, and released on bond.
Woods was accompanied to the court hearing in Stuart by his girlfriend, Vanessa Trump, the ex-wife of President Donald Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. The Republican president, an avid golfer, described Woods on Wednesday as a “great guy” and said he believed the resolution of the case was “very fair.” With the suspension of his driver’s license, “he’s going to have somebody drive him,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “I told him that a long time ago. Why don’t you get somebody to drive you?”
Woods initially pleaded not guilty to charges of DUI with property damage and refusing to submit to a lawful test, telling authorities he was looking at his phone and changing radio channels when the accident occurred. Days later, he said he was “stepping away” to seek treatment and focus on his health. Since the crash, Woods has travelled outside the United States to seek treatment at an inpatient facility, reportedly in Switzerland.
He made his first public appearance since his arrest at the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship in June, introducing tour Chief Executive Brian Rolapp, who announced a new competitive structure for the tour to take effect in 2028. As chair of the Future Competition Committee, Woods played a key role in shaping the new two-tier system featuring a PGA Tour Championship Series and a Challenger Series giving golfers a chance to secure a pathway to the elite circuit. Woods last played in an official PGA Tour event in July 2024.
© 2024 AFP
