‘I expect more from myself ’
Fourteen-time major champion blames ‘unexpected reaction’ to prescription drugs for DUI arrest
Tiger Woods attributed an “unexpected reaction” to prescription medicine for his arrest on a DUI charge that landed him in a Florida jail Monday for nearly four hours.
Woods, the 14-time major champion who had back surgery five weeks ago, was arrested on suspicion of DUI at about 3 a.m. Monday and taken to Palm Beach County jail. He was released on his own recognizance.
An arrest report might be available on Tuesday, Jupiter Police spokeswoman Kristin Rightler said.
“I understand the severity of what I did and I take full responsibility for my actions,” Woods said in a statement Monday evening. “I want the public to know that alcohol was not involved. What happened was an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications. I didn’t realize the mix of medications had affected me so strongly.”
Woods apologized to his family, friends and fans and said, “I expect more from myself, too.”
“I will do everything in my power to ensure this never happens again,” he said.
Woods, whose 79 victories rank No. 2 on the PGA Tour’s career list, has not competed for nearly four months. He is out for the rest of the season while he recovers from fusion surgery on April 20 in Texas.
Police said Woods was arrested on Military Train, south of Indian Creek Parkway.
Woods did not say in his statement where he had been or what he was doing at that hour. Jail records show that the 41-year-old was booked into jail at 7:18 a.m. and released at 10:50 a.m. The jail released a booking photo of Woods in a white T-shirt.
His agent at Excel Sports, Mark Steinberg, did not respond to a voicemail from The Associated Press seeking comment. PGA Tour spokesman Ty Votaw said the tour would have no comment.
Woods said in his statement that he fully cooperated with law enforcement and thanked Jupiter police and the Palm Beach County sheriff ’s office for being professional.
Notah Begay, a roommate of Woods when they played at Stanford, was empathetic.
Begay was arrested for drunken driving in 2000 when he ran into a car outside a bar in New Mexico.
“It’s embarrassing for Tiger, something that you can’t go back and change,” Begay said on Golf Channel. “I’ve been there myself. … But it was a turning point in my life. Hopefully, it’s something he’ll learn from, grow from, take responsibility for and use it to make some changes.”
Woods, who had been No. 1 longer than any other golfer, has not been a factor since his last victory in August 2013 as he battled through back surgeries from a week before the 2014 Masters until his most recent fusion surgery on his lower back a month ago.
It was the first time Woods has run into trouble since he plowed his SUV into a tree and a fire hydrant outside his Windermere, Fla., home in the early morning after Thanksgiving in 2009, which led to revelations that he had multiple extramarital affairs.
A police report then showed that a Florida trooper who suspected Woods was driving under the influence sought a subpoena for the golfer’s blood test results from the hospital, but prosecutors rejected the petition for insufficient information.