Tiger Woods was arrested yesterday for driving under the influence after a car crash in Florida, officials said.
Neither Woods nor the other driver involved in the incident were injured, and Woods was released from the Martin County Jail on Friday night. Woods’ breathalyser test registered a 0.00 according to the police, but deputies determined Woods was impaired, and said he did not submit to a urine test.
Woods had recently made his return to competitive action this week. He played in the TGL final for Jupiter Golf Links, and was attempting to play in The Masters in just a few weeks’ time.
This is the latest in a series of driving-related incidents for Woods. He nearly lost his leg after a severe rollover crash in Los Angeles in 2021 and required multiple surgeries to return to the sport.
Rex Hoggard, reacting to the news on the Golf Channel, called this incident “shocking”.
Rex Hoggard reacts to ‘shocking’ Tiger Woods car crash
Woods looked to be ramping up for a return to the golf course in recent months. He said he was attempting to play in The Masters, and he recently registered for the US Senior Open.
That’s why this news is all the more “shocking” to Hoggard, who told the Golf Channel, “We look at what he has done, really, over the last few months.
“Competitively, he actually played competitive golf this week at TGL. He didn’t hit a lot of shots and it was only a 10-hole match, but we saw him hit meaningful shots for the first time since the 2024 Open Championship.
“I was doing some reporting earlier today about him signing up to play the Senior US Open. Now it was just sort of a placeholder, according to the officials I spoke with, but that was optimistic. The idea that he wanted to play in the Senior[US] Open Championship.
“And of course, we were having the ongoing conversations about whether we were going to see him at The Masters in just a couple of weeks. To turn it then, and to go back to this, is just pretty shocking.
“I have covered a lot of these. Unfortunately, I have been in this chair numerous times when it comes to Tiger Woods. The car crash in Los Angeles just a couple of years ago, which was harrowing when you look at what could have happened to him.
“It was multiple surgeries just to repair his right leg, and he’s still on the road to recovery from that. And you look at the DUI, the crash that happened in Jupiter before that. All of those things felt like they were behind him.
“He had been so engaged with the PGA Tour. He was a part of the future competitions committee. We continue to have conversations about him being the next Ryder Cup captain.
“The idea that it seemed as if he had left that part of his life behind him, and he was focused on so many different things, so many meaningful things, when it comes to the game of golf. This is pretty shocking.”
Rex Hoggard suggests what Tiger Woods should do now after recent car crash
Even without returning to the golf course, there are plenty of things Woods can do to positively impact golf moving forward.
Hoggard detailed how the 15-time major winner can dedicate his time after his recent crash: “Let’s be honest, he’s been through numerous significant hits in his career when it comes to his personal life, when it comes to things have happened off the golf course. But time and time again, you look at what he does on the golf course.
“You look at Tuesday night, it was an indoor match at TGL, I don’t think the interest has ever been higher with that team trying to play for a championship and Tiger Woods coming back from injury. I think that’s a perfect example of what he could do.
“I did a story late last year as he was turning 50 years old, and talked to so many players and people in the game about his potential impact on what he could do for the PGA Tour Champions.
“The comparison was that he could do for the PGA Tour Champions what he did for the PGA Tour all those years ago in the late 90s. He could really turn that tour into something much, much bigger than it actually is right now.
“He’s still the engine that moves the game, but when something like this happens, we get alert.”
Brandel Chamblee also questioned whether Woods should play golf after this crash. There are still plenty of ways he can add to his legacy without picking up a club.
