Golf must move on from Tiger Woods, as soon as possible

Someone, please, just get a hold of Tiger Woods and take his car keys off him.

Someone, please, just get a hold of Tiger Woods and spell it out to him, it is time to retire from professional golf.

On Friday Woods was involved in another terrifying, and shameful incident in which he, and others were lucky to escape relatively unscathed from. Shortly after 2pm near his home in Jupiter, Florida a truck pulling a trailer was pulling over to begin a turn into a driveway, saw Tiger's Range Rover approaching at a high rate of speed. When attempting to pass him, Tiger swerved at the last moment to avoid impact, but clipped the trailer and rolled on his side, skidding down the road.

Tiger exited the vehicle through the passenger door. Local police that arrived on the scene observed that he was impaired by some kind of drug or medication, but not alcohol. They described him as "lethargic".

At the jail Tiger passed a Breathalyzer, but refused a urine test. No injuries were reported and no drugs were found in the vehicle. County officers stated that given his speed, it was very fortunate that nobody was traveling in the other direction, as it "could have been a lot worse".

Woods has been charged with DUI, property damage, and refusal to submit to a lawful test. Per county statues he will be held at the county jail for a minimum of 8 hours.

March 27, 2026 - Professional golfer Tiger Woods was arrested on suspicion of a DUI following a two-vehicle crash involving a pickup truck and a Land Rover on Jupiter Island on Friday. During a news conference, Sheriff John Budenseik said that a little before 2 p.m., the Jupiter Island Police Department received reports of a rollover crash near 281 South Beach Road. Upon arrival, law enforcement found a pickup truck pulling a pressure cleaner trailer and a Land Rover driven by Tiger Woods rolled over on its driver’s side. (WPEC)

Woods's suspected reliance on painkillers is pretty obvious given the massive number of surgeries he has had over the last two decades, and in particular since the fusing of his back and the massive injuries he sustained in the February 2022 crash in Los Angeles which nearly saw him lose a leg, or worse. It is far from the first time Woods has been involved in a DUI incident, and the question must be now asked, can Woods even function without the use of medication?

Ridiculous speculation that he was going to play at Augusta National must now surely be put to bed, and I think we have now reached the time where enough is enough. Golf must move on from Tiger Woods, and do so as soon as possible.

I will never forget the night of Friday 27 November 2009. I had been out in my hometown with friends, and came home and my parents were watching the TV and the news that Tiger Woods had been involved in a serious car crash. That moment, and the quite bizarre, controversial and sad events which followed it were deeply impactful to me as a huge Tiger fan at the time, and obviously with golf having such a huge impact on my life. But now, 17 years on, and after several off-course incidents, numerous withdrawals, injuries and comebacks, I am pretty much at the end of my tether with Tiger and with this sport, which is trying to cling to his past glories, when it does not need to.

Tiger's last win is the 2019 ZOZO Championship in Japan, more than 6 and a half years ago.

In that time he played just 21 tournaments, recording just 2 top 10 finishes, and he has plummeted down the Official World Golf Ranking to 3483rd.

Earlier today he entered the US Senior Open, and I have to admit it would have been great to cover him in this summer's ISPS Handa Senior Open at Gleneagles, just because it is a novelty. Tiger Woods can barely walk, let alone compete in a high level professional golf tournament. The Senior Open and Senior Majors would of course love the interest that his appearance would generate, and their sponsors would love it even more. but the time has come to say no more.

I am sure we all want to remember Tiger for his incredible golf, charisma on and off the course, his contribution to this wonderful game, and not for the controversial moments which threaten not just to tarnish his legacy, but let's be blunt about this, they threaten his life and the lives of others.

Tiger's behaviour off the course, which is of course due to his reliance on pain killers after his multiple surgeries, is damaging his legacy as a golfer and overshadowing the amazing work his foundation does for kids. Incidents like Friday do nothing to enhance his status as a role model, indeed they risk making him a criminal in the eyes of the law. Today was another sad chapter in the story of decline from being arguably the greatest golfer, and most transcendent sportsman in the world, and we all must hope that Tiger gets the help he needs, otherwise this Cat may run out of his nine lives. Nobody wants to see that.

SHANK, by Matt Hooper