US President Donald Trump said Tiger Woods was in “some difficulty” after he was involved in a rollover car accident in Florida on Friday afternoon.
Woods, 50, was arrested for drunk driving after speeding and crashing into a mechanical truck and then his Land Rover on Jupiter Island, in the same town where he lives, just after 2pm local time.
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The 15-time major champion and another driver survived the crash unharmed, and Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek acknowledged that “things could have been much worse.”
This is the third time Woods has been involved in a serious accident and the second time he has been arrested for drunk driving. Authorities suspect Woods was “impaired” by drugs after he passed a breathalyzer test but refused to take a urine sample.
Tiger Woods arrested and jailed after rollover crash (AP)
Tiger Woods’ Land Rover overturned in the crash (Martin County Sheriff’s Office, Associated Press). (AP)
The American was detained in Florida in 2017 for drunk driving and later admitted to a clinic seeking prescription medication.
President Trump commented on Woods’ accident, saying he was “very sorry” for his close friend.
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“He’s having some trouble,” Trump said before the Martin County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Woods’ arrest. “There was an accident, that’s all I know. He’s a very close friend of mine, a wonderful person, a wonderful person. There were some difficulties, but I don’t want to talk about them.”
Tiger Woods (right) alongside Donald Trump at the White House (Getty Images)
Under state law, Woods will be held in the county jail for at least eight hours before being released on bond.
Woods also suffered serious injuries in a high-profile rollover accident in California in 2021. Authorities said he was driving more than 45 mph, at least twice the speed limit, when his SUV crashed into a tree, causing the car to fly through the air and land on its side.
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Speaking at the 2021 Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, Woods said he was “lucky to be alive and have limbs,” and that he was 50-50 if part of his right leg would need to be amputated.
Woods has been working toward a return to golf since his seventh hip surgery last September, but his availability for next month’s Masters remains uncertain.
He admitted that he “felt terrible” after returning to golf in a virtual league with Jupiter Lynx, the team he lost to in the TGL Finals.
His last official tournament was the British Open in 2024, when he ruptured his Achilles tendon in March 2025, which kept him off the course all season until back surgery.
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Woods also has lifetime eligibility to play in the Masters as he has won the green jacket five times, but President Trump previously suggested the decision had already been made.
“I love Tiger, but he won’t be there,” President Trump said during an appearance on Fox News’ “The Five.” “He’ll be there, but he’s not going to play.”
