Another crash, another bleary-eyed mugshot - what now for Woods?

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Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Only Jack Nicklaus (18) has won more golf majors than Woods (15)

Golf correspondentPublished28 March 2026, 11:56 GMTWould he play or wouldn't he? Any golf fan thinking of Tiger Woods in the past week or so was probably wondering if we would see him compete at next month's Masters.

Now the questions are much more sinister.

It was known that this all time great golfer was in a race to recover from a ruptured Achilles tendon and two back surgeries in time to take on the undulating demands of Augusta National.

It seemed a race he was losing.

But Woods, a 15-times major champion and one of the most dominant figures the sporting world has ever seen, was refusing to give up on the dream.

"I keep trying," the 50-year-old said last Tuesday. "I want to play. I love the tournament."

In one dramatic incident, his priority has switched to dealing with the latest hit to his reputation - arrest, eight hours in jail, another bleary-eyed mugshot dominating news outlets and charges including driving under the influence.

Woods bailed after arrest following crash

Published15 hours agoWoods targets Masters after return to action in TGL

Published3 days agoWoods has disc replaced in latest injury setback

Published12 October 2025He has been here before - trying to recover from injuries that would have ended most athletic careers, as well as driving incidents that have crushed his reputation.

In the 2009 crash that precipitated his initial downfall, Woods was found to have sleeping pills in his system. Eight years later he was discovered asleep in a haphazardly parked car 15 miles from his Florida home.

There was damage to the driver's side of the Mercedes. He later explained he had suffered a reaction to medications prescribed in the wake of four back surgeries, including a spinal fusion.

Woods pleaded guilty to reckless driving and entered a programme for first-time DUI offenders. It was also reported that he checked into a treatment clinic.

The incident led to the publication of a first dishevelled mugshot, a savage contrast to thousands of glorious pictures that had celebrated his status as an all-conquering champion.

And those were the images that returned with his improbable fifth Masters victory in 2019, fused back and all, achieved at the age of 43. Again Woods had shown himself to be a genuinely extraordinary sporting hero.

Within two years, though, his fortunes plummeted once more. Woods' high-speed single vehicle crash near Los Angeles nearly cost the former world number one his right leg.

Californian police were criticised for not testing for impairment. Many observers found it surprising that officers felt there was no evidence to suggest they needed to carry out such tests.

It was a horrific crash. Woods' leg needed surgical rebuilding and there were plenty who doubted his golfing future. But, remarkably, he hobbled his way back.

Too often, though, the pain was evident to the watching galleries. Then followed the ruptured Achilles 13 months ago and two further back surgeries.

Image source, Martin County Sheriff's OfficeImage caption, Police released a mugshot

We have not seen him play competitive golf outdoors since the Open Championship of July 2024, his only action a nine-shot cameo in this week's TGL indoor simulator finals.

Of late, Woods' primary influence has been off the course, chairing the PGA Tour's Future Competitions Committee.

It is a relatively recent appointment, but for the best part of five years he has been at the forefront of shaping the tour's response to the arrival of the breakaway LIV Golf circuit.

He was too busy to take America's Ryder Cup captaincy last year and is currently weighing up whether to accept the job for the 2027 match at Adare Manor in Ireland.

But such roles, returning to action (he has registered for June's US Senior Open) and indeed any public-facing activities have been upended in the way his Range Rover flipped on to its side on Friday afternoon.

Police officers are analysing skid marks on Jupiter Island's 30mph South Beach Road to gauge the speed of the 82-time tour winner's car while attempting his ill-fated overtake manoeuvre.

Prosecutors are looking to build their case on three charges: driving under influence (despite passing a breathalyser test for alcohol), refusing to give a urine sample and damage to property.

Regardless of whether he is able to play at the Masters, Woods was expected to be in Georgia for the unveiling of The Patch - a revamped public golf course he has worked on with the Augusta National club. He was also looking forward to Rory McIlroy's champion's dinner on the Tuesday night.

Instead, talk shows across America and beyond are into overdrive on a far less wholesome agenda, speculating about the turbulent life of this elite sportsman - someone who has enjoyed and endured more extreme highs and lows than pretty much any other.

Trying to play the Masters, trying to hit a ball 300 yards, escaping from the sand, holing a delicate three-footer or trying to mastermind the future of men's professional golf or captaining his country all pale in significance now.

Tiger Woods' priorities must lie elsewhere. He is in a bunker of a different kind. Recurring road incidents had already shown a deeply troubled side to this supreme champion.

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Woods was pictured in a car leaving Martin County Jail late on Friday

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