NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
Tiger Woods was taken into custody after an accident Friday on Jupiter Island, Florida, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.
At a news conference, Sheriff John Budensiek said the five-time Masters winner was driving at “a high rate of speed” when his vehicle collided with another car, causing it to flip onto the driver’s side.
Budensiek added that Woods appeared to have gotten out of the vehicle by “crawling” out of the passenger side.
PK Press Club contributor Jim Gray said Woods’ crash and subsequent arrest marked the latest chapter in what he called an ongoing “sad story.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PK Press Club
Tiger Woods of Jupiter Links Golf Club before a match against Los Angeles Golf Club at SoFi Center on March 23, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (Adam Glanzman/TGL/TGL Golf via Getty Images)
“It’s a sad story, and it continues to be a sad story. We were all thrilled to see him play golf. He’s a national treasure (and) an international icon, maybe the greatest of all time. Jack Nicklaus has more majors, but Tiger (is) widely acclaimed, is the greatest golfer of all time,” Gray said Friday on “Special Report.”
TIGER WOODS RETURNS TO COMPETITION GOLF AS MASTERS LOOM
“Seeing this happen, not just once but twice, now the third time…and being able to survive the last time and now going through this again, it makes you wonder who is around him. Why does he keep finding himself in these circumstances? And he was so good to his driver on the course, maybe he should have a driver to drive him.”
Golfer Tiger Woods stands near his overturned vehicle in Jupiter Island, Florida, Friday, March 27, 2026. (Jason Oteri/AP)
Authorities said Woods “is an example of signs of impairment.” He blew “triple zeros” for alcohol but refused to take a urine test.
“DUI investigators came to the scene here, and Mr. Woods showed signs of impairment. They did several tests on him. Of course, he explained the injuries and surgeries he had. We took that into account, but they did extensive road tests,” Budensiek added.
“We really didn’t suspect that alcohol was involved in this case, and that proved true at the jail. … But when it came time for us to request a urinalysis, he refused. And so he was charged with driving while intoxicated, criminal damage to property and refusal to submit to a lawful test.”
Gray described the incident as a disturbing pattern.
“It’s just another cry for help, it’s a cry. At some point, somehow, someone has to get to him to get him that help. Get him a driver, stop driving. When you’ve had that many surgeries, obviously we see it all the time in professional sports, a lot of surgeries come with tremendous pain.
“And with that pain, you have to somehow try to reduce it, and that leads people down that path. I can’t say whether he went down that path or not. I haven’t talked to his doctor, and I haven’t talked to him about it.
“But we know from our habits and the patterns we see in others and in his own pattern that something is seriously wrong here. Fortunately, he didn’t hurt himself as much as last time, and he didn’t hurt anyone else.”
The Masters begins April 9 at Augusta National, and Woods recently said he hasn’t ruled out playing in the first major of the season.
In the 14 majors since winning the green jacket in 2019, Woods has failed to crack the top 20. This is his longest streak since failing to finish in the top 20 in the first six majors of his career in 1995 and 1996. In his last 26 majors, he has only finished in the top 20 four times.
Since finishing tied for ninth at the 2020 Farmers Insurance Open, his best finish in his 18 official events since then has been a tie for 37th at the 2020 PGA Championship.
“He gave us so many thrills and so much joy. I think it would be a joy for all of us to see him get back on his feet. To overcome the pain. He’s had surgeries on his back, neck, Achilles tendon, knee… and so on.
“They all added up. Just being able to see him smile and be a part of the game and be with his kids and be able to function normally would be a great joy for us going forward. He doesn’t have to live up to himself and what he’s done on the golf course in the past. It’s set in stone, and it’s set in stone forever.”
Woods hasn’t played in a professional golf tournament since 2024, when he played in just five events: the Genesis Invitational and all four majors. He withdrew from the Genesis, finished dead last at the Masters and missed the cut at the other majors.
