Tiger Woods said on Tuesday that he is "stepping away" from golf to seek treatment, and focus on his health following last week’s crash on Florida’s Jupiter Island.
Woods concluded his statement, telling his nearly 6 million followers that he is “committed to taking the time needed to return in a healthier, stronger, and more focused place, both personally and professionally,” he wrote. He additionally asked for privacy for his family, loved ones, and himself during this time.
Court records for Martin County showed Woods filed a written plea and intends to waive his appearance at an April 23 arraignment hearing.
The incident report, released on Tuesday by the Martin County Sheriff's Office, painted a detailed picture of the moments after the March 27 crash. Sheriff Deputy Tatiana Levenar, who conducted the DUI investigation, noted that Woods—wearing sunglasses when first approached—was sweating profusely despite being seated in a vehicle with cool air flowing. Once Woods removed his sunglasses, the deputy observed his eyes were bloodshot and glassy with extremely dilated pupils.
When asked whether he had consumed any prescription medication, Woods replied, "I take a few," telling deputies he had taken his medication earlier that morning.
During a search following his arrest, deputies found two white pills in Woods' left pants pocket. The pills, identified by their markings as hydrocodone—an opioid painkiller—were collected and submitted into evidence, the report said.
Woods' movements throughout the investigation were described as slow and lethargic. He hiccupped continuously and, during one balance exercise, repeatedly turned his head despite being instructed several times to hold it still.
Woods, 50, told deputies he had been looking down at his phone and adjusting the radio when he failed to notice the pickup truck in front of him slowing to make a turn. His black Land Rover clipped the rear of the truck's attached trailer, causing it to roll onto its driver's side. The truck sustained an estimated $5,000 in damage. Neither Woods nor the truck's driver were injured.
At the jail, Woods agreed to a breathalyzer test—which returned readings of 0.000—but refused a urine test. Under a recent change to Florida law, refusing a lawful chemical test is itself a misdemeanor offense. He was charged with DUI with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test, then released on bail roughly eight hours after his arrest.
"Based on my observations of Woods, how he performed the exercises and based on my training, knowledge, and experience, I believed that Woods normal faculties were impaired, and he was unable to safely operate the motor vehicle," the deputy wrote in the arrest affidavit.
PGA Reacts
PGA TOUR CEO Brian Rolapp also released a statement Tuesday regarding Woods.“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,” he said in a prepared statement. “My thoughts are with him and his family as he takes this step, for which he has my full respect and support.”
The PGA TOUR released a statement of its own.