Tiger Woods cannot seem to stay out of trouble.
The 15-time major champion was involved in a rollover accident in Jupiter Island, Florida, on March 27. After attempting to overtake a pickup truck pulling a trailer at high speed, Woods collided with the trailer, causing Woods’ vehicle to flip onto its driver’s side.
Nobody was hurt, but the incident set off a media frenzy that’s still burning more than a week later.
Woods climbed out through the passenger-side window, appeared “lethargic” to responding officers and told them his condition was related to injuries from previous accidents. He blew triple zeroes on a breathalyzer — no alcohol whatsoever — but flatly refused a urine test, which police use to detect drugs or medication.
Officers found two hydrocodone pills in his front pocket when deputies processed him at the scene. He was booked on charges of DUI with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test. Woods was held for eight hours before posting a $1,150 bond.
It is a story that feels all too familiar.
Woods was cited for careless driving in 2009 after striking a fire hydrant and a tree near his Orlando home. In 2017, police found him stopped on the side of a Florida road with the engine still running, clearly impaired. Police found prescription drugs — including hydrocodone — in his system, and Woods pleaded guilty to reckless driving. He completed DUI school, 50 hours of community service and 12 months of probation.
Then, in 2021, his SUV careened downhill in Rolling Hills Estates, California, traveling between 84 and 87 mph in a 45-mph zone. He was trapped inside and had to be extracted through the windshield. Authorities ruled that it was an accident with no impairment.
This time, they are not being so charitable.
Along with a new Woods mugshot, body camera footage released after the crash shows Woods walking along the road in the immediate aftermath, appearing to end a phone call. He can be heard telling a nearby officer he had just been on the phone with “the president.”
President Donald Trump told reporters the same day that Woods was a “close friend” and that he felt “so badly” about the incident. The White House did not confirm whether a call actually took place. The clip spread instantly, and the memes followed.
Woods has since pleaded not guilty, announced he is stepping away to seek treatment abroad and said he will not play in this year’s Masters Tournament.