Golfing icon Tiger Woods is facing DUI charges following a striking rollover accident on Jupiter Island, Florida, which resulted in his Land Rover rolling onto its side on a narrow residential roadway. The 50-year-old sports star was taken into custody by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office after the event, which happened when Woods reportedly made contact with a pressure-cleaner trailer during a high-speed passing maneuver.
The accident took place shortly before 2 p.m. on Friday, March 27, 2026, along South Beach Road, a two-lane road with a posted speed limit of 30 mph. Woods’ Land Rover came up behind a truck traveling north as its operator started moving into a driveway. According to investigators, Woods attempted to overtake the truck but collided with the trailer being pulled behind it, flipping his SUV onto the driver’s side and sending it sliding across the road surface. Woods exited through the passenger side window and departed the scene unharmed.
Upon arrival, officers noted Woods displayed indicators of impairment—Sheriff John Budensiek characterized him as “lethargic”—although a breathalyzer examination showed 0.00, indicating no alcohol present in his body. A Drug Recognition Expert determined that Woods’ impairment most likely resulted from medication or drugs. Woods consented to the breathalyzer but declined a urine test, resulting in an additional charge: refusal to submit to a lawful test. Officers discovered no substances inside the vehicle.
Officers transported Woods to the Martin County Jail in Stuart at approximately 3 p.m., where state law mandated he stay for no less than eight hours. He secured bail and exited the facility just before midnight, leaving as a passenger in a black SUV amid a crowd of photographers.
The two charges Woods faces are both misdemeanors. An initial DUI conviction in Florida results in as much as six months in jail and a $1,000 fine, while refusing a lawful test results in as many as 60 days imprisonment and a $500 fine. In the absence of urine test evidence, though, legal analysts suggest prosecutors may find it difficult to establish Woods was genuinely under the influence of a controlled substance—making the refusal charge the more probable path to conviction. Authorities have not scheduled a court date.
President Donald Trump commented on the arrest upon arriving in Miami for an investment summit. “I feel so badly. He’s got some difficulty,” Trump told reporters. “Very close friend of mine. He’s an amazing person, amazing man. But some difficulty.” Woods is in a relationship with Vanessa Trump, 48, the president’s former daughter-in-law and ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr.
Woods, valued at $1.5 billion by Forbes, has accumulated approximately $1.8 billion before taxes throughout his professional golf career—establishing him as the richest golfer ever and just the second active athlete to achieve billionaire status, along with LeBron James. He established a PGA Tour record with $121 million in tournament earnings, although around 90% of his fortune derives from endorsements and business activities instead of competitive winnings.
This represents Woods’ second DUI arrest. In May 2017, Jupiter police discovered him unconscious at the wheel of his Mercedes-Benz and needed to rouse him. A toxicology analysis from that episode showed five drugs in his body: Vicodin, Dilaudid, Xanax, Ambien, and THC. Woods subsequently apologized to his family, friends, and fans, attributing the incident to an unanticipated reaction to prescribed medications. He entered a guilty plea to reckless driving and participated in a diversion program that cleared his record.
The athlete also endured a catastrophic single-vehicle accident on February 23, 2021, in Rolling Hills Estates, California, which destroyed his Genesis GV80 and almost resulted in the loss of his right leg. Per the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office, Woods was driving between 84 and 87 mph in a 45 mph zone when he lost control. He sustained open fractures to his lower right leg, necessitating emergency surgery, a rod in his tibia, and screws and pins in his foot and ankle. Woods remained hospitalized for three weeks and recuperated for three months in a hospital-type bed at his residence. Officials concluded that crash demonstrated no signs of impairment and was entirely an accident resulting from excessive speed.
Merely three days prior to his arrest, Woods participated in the TGL Finals at SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens—his first competitive play in over a year. His Jupiter Links Golf Club team was defeated by the Los Angeles Golf Club, which claimed the SoFi Cup with a dominant 9-2 victory. Woods had suggested that participating at The Masters remained a potential option as he continues healing from a ruptured Achilles tendon in March 2025 and a seventh back surgery in October. The esteemed tournament commences April 9, 2026, although Woods’ involvement now seems extremely doubtful following his arrest.
Sheriff Budensiek observed that the crash might have been considerably more severe. “Had there been somebody moving in the opposite direction, we would not be having a conversation saying there was no injuries,” he said during his press conference. “This could have been a lot worse.” The confined roadway provides minimal space for motorists to move aside, and investigators stressed that approaching traffic might have made the incident fatal. The truck driver sustained no injuries.
Woods’ long-serving agent, Mark Steinberg, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The arrest contributes another chaotic chapter to Woods’ personal narrative, which has featured widely publicized battles with pain medication after numerous surgeries to prolong his playing career. Notwithstanding these obstacles, Woods remains among golf’s most identifiable and impactful figures—a 15-time major champion who revolutionized the sport and continues to generate enormous interest whenever he steps onto a course.
Whether this latest incident disrupts what remained of his comeback attempts or triggers a more substantial confrontation with his health challenges, the golf world—and millions of fans who have tracked his remarkable career—will be observing intently.