Tiger Woods was involved in yet another car crash in Florida on Friday afternoon, adding one more incident to a sprawling list of controversies that have marred his spectacular sporting career.
The world-famous golfer has been the center of multiple scandals over the past two decades, including other vehicular collisions, arrests, injuries and extra-marital affairs.
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Friday’s incident took place on Jupiter Island, in the same town where Woods lives, just after 2pm local time, according to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office. It comes less than two weeks before the start of the 2026 Masters tournament.
A photograph shared of the scene showed a vehicle lying on its driver’s side, though authorities said two cars were involved in the collision.
A photograph shared of the scene showed a vehicle lying on its driver’s side (AP)
Tiger Woods was involved in yet another car crash in Florida on Friday afternoon, adding another incident to a sprawling list of controversies that have marred his spectacular sporting career (AP)
Speaking to reporters Friday afternoon, Sheriff John Budensiek confirmed that there were no injuries as a result of the collision.
Woods was driving a dark colored Land Rover at “high speeds” when he clipped a truck pulling a trailer, according to law enforcement.
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The driver of the truck said that he was starting to turn into a driveway off a two-lane road when he looked in his mirror and saw Woods driving towards him and tried to overtake him at the last minute and swerved to avoid a full crash at the last minute.
Woods’ SUV rolled on the driver’s door and he climbed out of the window, officials said.
Woods’ SUV rolled on the driver’s door and he climbed out of the window, officials said
“On scene we had DRE experts evaluating him and they believe from on scene that he was not impaired on alcohol,” Budensiek said. “They believe he was some type of medication or drug.” However, the golfer had cooperated with the breathalyzer test, he added.
It was confirmed that no medications were found in the golfer’s car.
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California car crash 2021
In February 2021, Woods was hospitalized with “multiple leg injuries” after being involved in a serious car crash in California.
Firefighters had to free the golf superstar from his Genesis GV80 SUV using pry tools and an axe following the incident in Rancho Palos Verdes, near Los Angeles.
Authorities said at the time that his car, which was the only vehicle involved in the crash, rolled over and sustained “major damage” in the incident near Rolling Hills Estates.
Woods was not competing at the time due to being in the middle of rehabilitation after undergoing his fifth back surgery of his career the month before. However, he did feature as the host of the Genesis Invitational on the PGA Tour, where he expressed hope he would be back for the Masters that year.
The vehicle driven by Tiger Woods on the back of a truck in Los Angeles following his crash on February 23, 2021 (PA Wire)
“I’m feeling fine, little bit stiff. Have one more MRI scheduled to see if the annulus has scarred over finally, and then I can start doing more activities,” he said. “Still in the gym, still doing the mundane stuff that you have to do for rehab, the little things before you can start gravitating towards something a little more.”
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DUI arrest 2017
Woods was arrested in Palm Beach County, in Florida, in May 2017 after being found asleep at the wheel of his Mercedes-Benz over Memorial Day weekend
A toxicology report at the time showed he had five different drugs in his system including traces of the painkillers Vicodin and Dilaudid, Xanax, sleeping drug Ambien and THC – the active ingredient in marijuana. Such a combination can cause unconsciousness and confusion.
The golfer was arrested in the early hours of the morning around 15 miles from his home in Jupiter after being found unconscious in the vehicle, which was parked awkwardly on the side of the road and had damage to the driver’s side. It was unclear how the vehicle became damaged.
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When asked by officers Woods stated he didn’t know where he was, CBS reported at the time, and stumbled through a sobriety test,
He told officers he was taking Vicodin and Xanax to cope with his fourth back surgery, which he had undergone in April that year. No alcohol was found in his system, the outlet reported.
Woods later agreed to plead guilty to reckless driving but undertook a diversion program to allow his record to be wiped clean if completed.
Cheating revelations 2009
In 2009, Woods ran over a fire hydrant and hit a tree with his SUV at Thanksgiving, which resulted in the revelation that he had cheated on his wife Elin Nordegren, with a string of women.
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The golf pro had been driving from his Florida mansion in his Cadillac Escalade when he crashed. He was later treated for minor cuts to the face and received a ticket for careless driving.
Some reports of the incident speculated that Nordegren had been chasing Woods with a golf club just before the crash and smashed the back windows of the vehicle. Both Woods and Nordegren denied those claims, and Woods said that Nordegren had in fact, helped him out of the car after the accident.
Following intense media speculation, he released a statement in which he called the incident a “private matter” and announced he would not be appearing in any more tournaments in that year due to his injuries.
In 2009 Woods ran over a fire hydrant and hit a tree with his SUV at Thanksgiving – which resulted in the revelation that he had cheated on wife Elin Nordegren with a string of women (REUTERS)
However, days later, voicemail recordings were released by media outlets, forcing Woods to release a further statement in which he admitted to multiple affairs and later announced he would be taking “an indefinite break from professional golf.”
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After the incident, Woods lost many of his lucrative corporate sponsorship deals, went to rehab in Mississippi and did not play golf for five months. The pair divorced in August 2010.
Career and injuries
A child prodigy, Woods burst onto the scene as a professional at just 19 years of age as an amateur, playing his first major championship at the 1995 Masters, finishing in a tie for 41st as the only amateur to make the cut.
Woods turned professional at 20 and immediately became a superstar. Augusta quickly became synonymous with him two years after his debut there when he won the first of what would become 15 major championships.
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His meteoric rise would include six consecutive wins on the PGA Tour in 2000, though his body would start to break down at the end of the decade, but not before a heroic effort.
Perhaps the signature moment of Woods’ career arrived on the sloping greens of Augusta in the 2005 Masters, with a masterful chip-in inspiring one of his five victories at the property. It included the iconic fist-pump celebration after the golf ball paused briefly on the lip of the hole, displaying the Nike swoosh logo.
Tiger Woods celebrates after winning the 2019 Masters
He would emerge victorious at the 2008 US Open, too, despite subsequently requiring reconstructive knee surgery on a damaged ACL, as well as a stress fracture in his left tibia.
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However, despite the injuries and his fraught personal life, Woods impressively emerged from his slump in 2012 and 2013 with three and five PGA Tour wins respectively, though his major drought continued, with no victory since battling on one leg to a play-off victory at the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines.
Woods’ body continued to betray him following his latest rise with his first back surgery in March 2014, which culminated in a lengthy period of inactivity and just one tournament between August 2015 and January 2018. It resulted in him tumbling down the world rankings and sitting on the outside of the top 1,000.
His second back surgery came in September 2015, with a third attempt to cure his back in December 2016, resulting in a 15-month absence from the Tour. His persistent back problems staggered his return in 2017, with a fourth surgery in April of that year.
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