“Golf Emperor” Tiger Woods (USA) is expected to have difficulty competing in the Master’s in early April or serving as captain of the 2027 Ryder Cup due to a traffic accident on the 28th. On the 29th, the Associated Press published an article titled “Woods’ Future Becomes Uncertain After Being Arrested and Released for Drunk or Drug-Related Driving in Florida,” predicting that Woods’ returns scenario would effectively come to a “complete halt.”
Woods was driving on a two-lane road in Jupiter Island, Martin County, Florida, the previous day when he collided with another vehicle. After the accident, Woods exited the vehicle through the passenger-side window and sustained no major injuries. Although he tested negative on a breathalyzer, he refused a urine test. Local police stated that “Woods was in a state of typical impaired driving ability,” placing weight on the possibility that he was driving under the influence of drugs. Woods was released on bail, but his participation in the Masters, the season’s first major tournament in early April, has become virtually impossible. Woods, born in 1975 and 50 years old, last competed in an official tournament held on a golf course at The Open in July 2024.
The Associated Press reported that “Woods will be charged with drunk driving or drug-impaired driving, property damage, and refusing a urine test,” adding that “neither Woods’ management company nor the PGA Tour commented on the matter.” The Associated Press reported, “Woods’ chances of playing in this year’s Masters were not high (even before this incident), and he was also in a situation where he had to give an answer by the end of March regarding whether he would serve as the captain of the U.S. team for the 2027 Ryder Cup.”
Woods has revealed that he is considering an offer to serve as the U.S. captain for the Ryder Cup, the men’s golf competition between the U.S. and Europe to be held in Ireland in 2027. He is also scheduled to attend the unveiling of a municipal course designed by his design team in Augusta, Georgia, in early April, alongside Augusta National President Fred Ridley.
The Associated Press explained, “Woods’s latest accident is similar to when he was arrested in Florida in 2017 on charges of drunk driving or drug-impaired driving.” The report noted, “At that time, Woods was asleep in the driver’s seat of a vehicle with the engine running and the right turn signal on, and two tires were flat.”
It was revealed that Woods was not driving under the influence of alcohol at the time, but had taken a mixture of painkillers, sleeping pills, and antidepressants. Given that Woods underwent surgery on his Achilles tendon and back last year, there is a possibility that he caused this traffic accident again using drugs such as painkillers.