Tiger Woods is set to alter his plea in a DUI case related to a rollover accident in Florida, as per court documents submitted on Tuesday. Earlier in March, Woods was involved in a collision involving his Land Rover and a truck, resulting in the golf icon’s arrest. Woods had initially pleaded not guilty to the DUI charge in Martin County circuit court, located just north of Palm Beach County.
A plea conference hearing is scheduled for Wednesday morning, as indicated in a notice released on Tuesday. However, no specific details regarding the nature of the plea modification have been disclosed at this time.
Neither Woods’s attorney, Doug Duncan, nor the State Attorney’s Office has responded to requests for additional information from The Associated Press.
In the incident report, it was revealed that Woods was driving at high speeds on a residential road in Jupiter Island with a speed limit of nearly 50 kilometers per hour when his Land Rover caused $5,000 US worth of damage to the truck. Despite the accident, Woods managed to exit the vehicle unscathed and informed a deputy that he was distracted while looking at his phone and adjusting the radio when the collision occurred.
Although Woods consented to a breathalyzer test that showed no alcohol in his system, he declined to undergo a urine test. Authorities discovered two pain pills in his possession, and he displayed signs of impairment according to a sheriff’s office report.
Subsequently, Woods sought treatment at an inpatient facility outside the U.S., based on court records. In July, Judge Darren Steele approved an agreement allowing prosecutors to review medical records related to Woods’s crash and subsequent arrest. A similar agreement was also authorized in May, granting prosecutors access to Woods’s prescription medication records at a Palm Beach pharmacy from the beginning of the year until the end of March.
As one of the most influential figures in golf at 50 years old, Woods made history as the first Black individual to win the Masters in 1997. Despite his significant achievements in the sport, his career has faced obstacles due to various health issues, including multiple surgeries, car accidents, and dependency on pain medication.
Woods has been involved in four accidents over the years, with the most recent one occurring in Los Angeles in 2021, resulting in severe damage to his right leg. He also encountered a crash in 2009 near his residence in Orlando, Florida, when his SUV collided with a fire hydrant and tree.
Following these incidents, Woods took breaks from the golf tour to recover. He made a public appearance on June 23 after returning from treatment to announce the PGA Tour’s schedule changes for 2028. Woods continued his role as chairman of the tour’s Future Competition Committee post-arrest, where he presented the plans without taking any questions.