Tiger Woods has accepted a five-year suspension of his driving licence following a crash in Florida in March.
Having originally pleaded not guilty to charges of driving under the influence with property damage and refusal to submit to testing, the 50-year-old has entered a plea agreement with prosecutors in Martin County, Florida.
Woods pleaded no contest to a reduced charge of reckless driving and refusal to submit to a lawful test. He was also found guilty of careless driving, a moving violation, and he was also given $1,500 in fines.
Woods was told by the judge: ‘If you were to drive for any reason at all, you would go immediately back to jail’.
No one was injured in the crash, which happened when Woods tried to overtake a truck in front of him on Jupiter Island. Authorities said that Woods clipped the trailer on the back of the truck, and as Woods’ vehicle had tipped on its side, he escaped through the passenger door. While he passed a breathalyser test at the time, he refused to take a urinary test for drugs.
Authorities also reported finding two hydrocodone pills in his pocket, which are prescribed to treat pain.
The 15-time major champion appeared at Martin County Courthouse in Stuart, Florida, with his girlfriend Vanessa Trump – the ex-wife of Donald Trump Jnr.
Police bodycam footage from moments after the crash showed Woods explaining that he was looking down at his phone and changing the radio station in his car when the crash happened.
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On March 31, Woods released a statement on his social media channels which read:
I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in today. I am stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health. This is necessary in order for me to prioritise my well-being and work toward lasting recovery.
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I’m committed to taking the time needed to return in a healthier, stronger, and more focused place, both personally and professionally. I appreciate your understanding and support, and ask for privacy for my family, loved ones and myself at this time.
His inactivity in professional golf in recent years has largely stemmed from the crash he suffered in February 2021 in Los Angeles, in which his car had ‘major damage’, and it required him to have surgery on multiple fractures in his right leg.
Only four years before, Woods was found asleep at the wheel when he was arrested for driving under the influence in Florida. He later apologised and blamed the incident on ‘an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications’.
Woods hasn’t played competitive golf since The Open Championship in 2024. Since then, he has competed in TGL – the indoor golf league which involves hitting balls into simulated holes with a host of stars from the PGA Tour.
In March 2025, Woods told his fans that he’d ruptured his Achilles and had surgery. In October, he revealed he had a collapsed disc in L4/5, disc fragments, and a compromised spinal canal. He underwent lumbar disc replacement surgery.
In the lead-up to his plea agreement, Woods had been active again on social media, welcoming the new PGA Tour format to become effective in 2028. He also congratulated Scottie Scheffler on winning the Tour Championship and his three victories in 2026.
He also appeared publicly on June 23 at the Travelers Championship. Woods has seemingly still led the Future Competition Committee on the PGA Tour, which is in charge of the US circuit’s competitive model.
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