Pro golfer Tiger Woods “took responsibility” for an “unexpected reaction” to medication after his arrest on a DUI charge in Jupiter, Florida.
Woods was arrested early Monday by Jupiter police, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office booking blotter.
Late Monday, Woods released a statement about the incident, saying he understood the severity of his actions.
“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,” the statement says.
He went on to apologize to his family, friends and fans. “I expect more from myself too. I will do everything in my power to ensure this never happens again.”
He thanked the police for their professionalism. “I fully cooperated with law enforcement,” he said in the statement.
A spokeswoman for Jupiter Police said Woods was pulled over about 3 a.m. on Military Trail, just south of Indian Creek Parkway.
Woods was booked into the jail at 7:18 a.m. Monday and released at 10:50 a.m., the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said.
No further information was immediately released about the allegations against Woods.
The golfer has a home on Jupiter Island and owns The Woods Jupiter restaurant at Harbourside Place on Indiantown Road.
Woods, the winner of 14 major championships, has been battling injuries in recent years. He had committed to play in the Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens in February but withdrew from the tournament because of ongoing back issues.
In April, he had back surgery that ensured he would be sidelined for all of golf’s majors for a second straight year.
Woods, 41, posted an update on his physical condition to his website on Wednesday.
“It has been just over a month since I underwent fusion surgery on my back, and it is hard to express how much better I feel,” he wrote. “It was instant nerve relief. I haven’t felt this good in years.”
Woods also wrote that, “as for returning to competitive golf, the long-term prognosis is positive.”
Woods’ previous brush with the law was his now infamous crash after Thanksgiving in 2009 which preceded revelations of his numerous extramarital affairs. Woods had crashed into a fire hydrant and a tree while leaving his mansion in Windermere at about 2:25 a.m.
His wife at the time, Elin Nordegren, smashed the window of his crashed SUV with a golf club and pulled him out of the damaged vehicle. When police arrived Woods was lying on the ground, dazed and bleeding from his lips and with blood in his mouth and cuts on his face. The crash knocked Woods, then 33, unconscious and he was taken to a hospital in serious condition.
Investigators suspected Woods was under the influence when he crashed but an attempt to collect “medical blood results” was denied by state prosecutors because of “insufficient information.” Florida Highway Patrol did not pursue a criminal case and Woods was ticketed for careless driving, fined $164 and received four points against his license.
———
(Staff writers Arlene Satchell and Tonya Alanez contributed to this report.)
———
(c)2017 Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Visit the Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) at www.sun-sentinel.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
