Golf legend Tiger Woods will make his first court appearance in early September following his DUI arrest and rollover car crash in South Florida.
The 50-year-old 15-time major champion was detained on March 27 after flipping his SUV while attempting to pass a truck and trailer at high speed on Jupiter Island. Prosecutors in South Florida postponed the hearing multiple times while continuing their investigation into the incident.
Following the crash, police found two opioid painkillers in the golfer's pocket. Authorities charged Woods with driving under the influence, property damage, and refusal to submit to a lawful test.
Jupiter Island is an affluent coastal town in Martin County, Florida, known for its private luxury estates and high-profile residents. The March incident marked the latest legal issue for Woods in the state.
Court filings and medical records
Woods will be represented in court by attorney Douglas Duncan. The golfer previously waived his arraignment and requested a jury trial regarding the charges.
The most recent hearing in the case took place on August 4, following a pivotal ruling in July. Martin County Circuit Court Judge Darren Steele approved an agreement between the State Attorney's Office and Woods' legal team allowing prosecutors to request records from the hospital that treated Woods after the crash.
Judge Steele had approved a similar agreement in May, granting prosecutors access to Woods' prescription medication records from his Palm Beach pharmacy covering the period from January 1 up to the March crash.
Both parties agreed to a protective order restricting the disclosure of the medical and pharmacy records. The order limits access strictly to the State Attorney's Office, law enforcement, state experts, and the defense team.
Rehabilitation and medical recovery
After the March arrest, Woods traveled to Zurich, Switzerland, to seek professional help at a treatment facility. Zurich is Switzerland's financial center and home to leading medical clinics.
Woods completed the rehab program abroad, though he made a brief return trip to Florida after his girlfriend Vanessa Trump revealed her breast cancer diagnosis.
The crash disrupted Woods' planned return to professional golf competition. Before the incident, the former world number one was closing in on a comeback and was widely expected to compete at The Masters in Augusta, Georgia.
The Masters Tournament is one of golf's four annual major championships, held every April at Augusta National Golf Club. Woods has not played competitive golf since the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon in Scotland. He has since undergone surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon as well as his seventh back procedure.
History of driving incidents
The March arrest represents the fourth time Woods has faced legal trouble or serious accidents while operating a motor vehicle.
In 2017, police arrested Woods for DUI in Florida after finding him slumped in his car with five drugs in his system, including two painkillers.
In 2021, Woods suffered severe injuries in a single-vehicle crash in California that shattered his right leg after he became trapped under the vehicle. He required multiple surgeries to recover from his injuries and has struggled with the troubling heel issue plantar fasciitis ever since.
Woods was also involved in a November 2009 incident where he crashed his vehicle into a fire hydrant outside his Florida home as he attempted to leave after his then-wife Elin Nordegren discovered his infidelities.
