Tiger Woods was 'asleep at the wheel' before his DUI arrest

Tiger Woods appears in a booking photo released by Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office in Palm Beach. Photo: Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office

Tiger Woods appears in a booking photo released by Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office in Palm Beach. Photo: Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office

Published May 30, 2017

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JUPITER, Florida – Tiger Woods was asleep at the wheel of a stationary Mercedes-Benz vehicle on a Florida road and did not know where he was, according to a police report released on Tuesday, a day after his arrest on a charge of driving under the influence.

Woods had "extremely slow and slurred speech" after being awoken by a Jupiter police officer, who found the golfer's car stopped in the right lane of the roadway and still running, the report said.

The former world number one, who is second on the all-time list with 14 major titles, was booked at 7.18 am (local time) on Monday and released several hours later on his own recognizance.

On Tuesday, Woods released a statement apologizing for the incident and claiming that "alcohol was not involved".

"I understand the severity of what I did and I take full responsibility for my actions," Woods said in the statement quoted by US media outlets.

"What happened was an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications. I didn't realize the mix of medications had affected me so strongly. I would like to apologize with all my heart to my family, friends and the fans. I expect more from myself too."

Woods, who is currently sidelined from competition after having his fourth back surgery in April, said last week that he felt better than he had in years and had no plans to retire from competitive golf.

This is not the first time Woods has made headlines away from the golf course. His private life unraveled in late 2009 over allegations about affairs with several women and ultimately led to the end of his marriage.

Those allegations followed a bizarre early morning car accident outside his Florida home that rapidly ballooned into a fully-fledged sex scandal which turned his previously unblemished life and career upside down.

The scandal ultimately cost Woods a number of lucrative endorsement deals, while other sponsors shifted away from using him in marketing but did not end their contracts with him.

Woods, whose current sponsors include Nike, Bridgestone, Hero, Kowa, Upper Deck, and Monster Energy was ranked 12th on Forbes' list of the highest-paid athletes in 2016, with total earnings of $45.3 million, despite missing much of the year recovering from back surgery.

A 79-time winner on the PGA Tour who was world No. 1 for a record 683 weeks, Woods lost form in recent years due to injuries and the mastering of a new swing while his ranking has plummeted to 876 after his long spell on the sidelines.

He has competed in only 19 events on the PGA Tour since the end of 2013, recording just one top-10 during that period along with seven missed cuts and three withdrawals.

Reuters

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