Golfing icon Tiger Woods is facing DUI charges following a striking rollover collision on Jupiter Island, Florida, which resulted in his Land Rover landing on its side on a tight residential street. The 50-year-old sports star was taken into custody by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office after the event, which happened when Woods reportedly struck a pressure-cleaner trailer while trying to overtake at excessive speed.
The collision took place shortly before 2 p.m. on Friday, March 27, 2026, along South Beach Road, a two-lane street with a posted limit of 30 mph. Woods’ Land Rover came up behind a northbound truck as its driver started pulling into a driveway. According to investigators, Woods attempted to overtake the truck but collided with the trailer being pulled, causing his SUV to roll onto the driver’s side and skid across the road surface. Woods exited through the passenger side window and departed the wreck unharmed.
Upon arrival, deputies observed Woods displaying indicators of impairment—Sheriff John Budensiek characterized him as “lethargic”—although a breathalyzer examination showed 0.00, indicating no alcohol was present in his body. A Drug Recognition Expert determined that Woods’ impairment probably resulted from medication or drugs. Woods consented to the breathalyzer but declined a urine test, which resulted in a second charge: refusal to submit to a lawful test. Officers discovered no substances in the vehicle.
Officers transported Woods to the Martin County Jail in Stuart at approximately 3 p.m., where state law mandated he stay for no less than eight hours. He secured bail and exited the facility just before midnight, leaving as a passenger in a black SUV amid a crowd of photographers.
The charges against Woods are both misdemeanors. A first-offense DUI conviction in Florida includes up to six months incarceration and a $1,000 penalty, while refusing a lawful test results in up to 60 days behind bars and a $500 penalty. In the absence of urine test findings, however, legal analysts say prosecutors may face difficulty proving Woods was genuinely under the influence of a controlled substance—making the refusal charge the more probable path for conviction. No hearing date has been scheduled.
President Donald Trump commented on the arrest while arriving in Miami for an investment summit. “I feel so badly. He’s got some difficulty,” Trump told reporters. “Very close friend of mine. He’s an amazing person, amazing man. But some difficulty.” Woods is in a relationship with Vanessa Trump, 48, the president’s former daughter-in-law and ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr.
Woods, valued at $1.5 billion per Forbes, has accumulated approximately $1.8 billion before taxes throughout his professional golf career—establishing him as the richest golfer in history and just the second active athlete to achieve billionaire status, alongside LeBron James. He established a PGA Tour record with $121 million in prize earnings, though roughly 90% of his fortune derives from endorsements and business endeavors rather than tournament prizes.
This represents Woods’ second DUI arrest. In May 2017, Jupiter police discovered him sleeping at the wheel of his Mercedes-Benz and needed to rouse him. A toxicology analysis from that occurrence showed five drugs in his system: Vicodin, Dilaudid, Xanax, Ambien, and THC. Woods subsequently apologized to his family, friends, and fans, attributing an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications. He entered a guilty plea to reckless driving and participated in a diversion program that cleared his record.
The golfer also endured a catastrophic single-vehicle crash on February 23, 2021, in Rolling Hills Estates, California, which left his Genesis GV80 destroyed and almost resulted in the loss of his right leg. Per the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office, Woods was driving between 84 and 87 mph in a 45 mph zone when he lost control. He sustained open fractures to his lower right leg, necessitating emergency surgery, a rod in his tibia, and screws and pins in his foot and ankle. Woods remained hospitalized for three weeks and recuperated for three months in a hospital-type bed at his residence. Officials concluded that crash displayed no evidence of impairment and was simply an accident resulting from excessive speed.
Only three days prior to his arrest, Woods participated in the TGL Finals at SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens—his first competitive swings in over a year. His Jupiter Links Golf Club team fell to the Los Angeles Golf Club, which secured the SoFi Cup with a decisive 9-2 victory. Woods had suggested that competing at The Masters remained a possibility as he continues recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon in March 2025 and a seventh back surgery in October. The esteemed tournament commences April 9, 2026, though Woods’ participation now seems highly doubtful following his arrest.
Sheriff Budensiek observed that the crash could have been far more severe. “Had there been somebody moving in the opposite direction, we would not be having a conversation saying there was no injuries,” he said during his press conference. “This could have been a lot worse.” The confined roadway provides minimal room for drivers to move aside, and investigators stressed that oncoming traffic could have transformed the incident into a fatality. The truck driver sustained no injury.
Woods’ long-serving agent, Mark Steinberg, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The arrest contributes another chaotic chapter to Woods’ personal history, which has featured highly publicized battles with pain medication following numerous surgeries to prolong his playing career. Despite these challenges, Woods remains one of golf’s most recognizable and influential figures—a 15-time major champion who revolutionized the sport and continues to generate massive interest whenever he steps onto a course.
Whether this latest incident derails what remained of his comeback attempts or prompts a more serious reckoning with his health challenges, the golf world—and millions of fans who have followed his extraordinary career—will be watching closely.
