Tiger asleep at the wheel
Passed out, didn’t know what state he was in
TIGER WOODS was passed out at the wheel — with his car running and showing fresh damage — before he was arrested in Florida on a charge of driving under the influence, local police said.
The fading golf legend was so out of it, he couldn’t even tell cops what state he was in.
Woods “had slow, sluggish and very slurred speech” and was “unable to walk alone” — but he blew a 0.00 in a breath test for alcohol, according to a police report.
“It should be noted that Woods was asleep at the wheel and had to be woken up,” the report says.
Officers found Woods’ black 2015 Mercedes-Benz stopped in the right lane of a darkened road in his hometown of Jupiter just after 2 a.m. Monday. The vehicle’s right signal was flashing, both drivers’ side tires were flat, and the rims and bumpers also showed minor damage, police said.
Woods, 41, initially told cops that he was on the other side of the country — driving from a golf outing in Los Angeles to Orange County, Calif.
“I asked Woods if he knew where he was at, to which he stated he had no idea,” an officer wrote in an incident report.
The groggy golfer was arrested after he failed several roadside tests.
Woods struggled to walk heel-to-toe in a straight line and couldn’t stand on one leg, the report says.
Woods didn’t respond when instructed several times to recite the alphabet. He eventually snapped out of it and said he understood the directions but clearly didn’t.
“Yes, recite entire national anthem backwards,” he said before finally saying the alphabet correctly.
Woods twice nodded off during his encounter with police, according to an incident report.
In between, he asked the cops how far away he was from his home, and admitted that he takes several prescription drugs including Vicodin.
In a statement released Monday, Woods blamed the incident on “an unexpected reaction” to prescription drugs.
“I want the public to know that alcohol was not involved,” Woods said. “What happened was an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications. I didn’t realize the mix of medications had affected me so strongly.”
Woods was released on his own recognizance at 10:50 a.m. Monday.
A mug shot revealed an unshaven and droopy-eyed Woods — an appearance that matched the officers’ description of him.
One cop described Woods as “cooperative as much as possible” and “very droopy, extremely sleepy, hard to keep eyes open.”
The arrest marked a new, sad chapter in the unraveling of one of the world’s greatest athletes.
It began in the early morning hours after Thanksgiving 2009 when Woods smashed his SUV into a tree and fire hydrant near his home in Windmere.
Woods’ then-wife Elin Nordegren had chased him out of their house — leading to the crash and spawning a cascade of revelations about the golfer’s multiple extramarital affairs.
Beset by back injuries — he had surgery on April 19 — Woods has struggled to regain his form. He hasn’t won a major since the 2008 U.S. Open.
Golf legend Jack Nicklaus expressed sadness Tuesday over Woods’ arrest.
“I feel bad for Tiger. Tiger’s a friend. He’s been great for the game of golf,” Nicklaus said at a news conference for The Memorial Tournament in Ohio. “He needs our help. I wish him well.”