Golfing legend Tiger Woods has accepted a five-year suspension of his driving license and significant fines after reaching a plea agreement in Martin County court in Stuart, Florida, on Wednesday, September 2, 2026. The resolution saw his original charge of driving under the influence (DUI) reduced to reckless driving, a decision that has drawn reaction from former President Donald Trump, a long-time friend of Woods.
Woods, 50, pleaded no contest to the reckless driving charge, as well as an additional careless driving offense. The agreement stipulates he will not seek a hardship exemption during his five-year driving ban, which will run concurrently for both charges. Financial penalties include:
- A $1,000 fine for reckless driving
- A $500 fine for careless driving
The charges stemmed from a rollover crash near his Jupiter Island home on March 27. Woods was arrested following the incident. While he passed a breathalyser test, he declined further testing for other drugs. Body camera footage released by police in April captured Woods telling officers at the scene, “I looked down at my phone, and all of a sudden, boom.” He also admitted to taking “a few” prescription medications earlier that morning, with officers finding hydrocodone, an opioid painkiller, in his pocket.
Trump’s support and personal advice
Donald Trump, who called Woods while he was being arrested, has consistently supported the 15-time major champion. Bodycam footage from the scene captured Woods telling officers, “Yeah, I was just talking with the president,” after hanging up a phone call, as reported by The New York Post. Reacting to the plea agreement, Trump highlighted Woods’ ongoing physical struggles.
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“Well, look, I know Tiger very well. He’s a great guy. He’s unique in so many ways, especially as an athlete but also as a man,” Trump told GolfMagic. “He suffers great pain, great pain. It’s a very tough situation because they didn’t find alcohol on him. He didn’t test positive at all for alcohol, but because of his horrible back, because he had, in my opinion, a bad doctor, but he had a back operation that did not work out well, and he is under pain.”
Trump also revealed he had advised Woods on his driving habits long before this incident. “But I thought it was very fair, he’s going to have somebody drive him. I told him that a long time, ‘why don’t you just get somebody to drive you?’ So he’s going to have somebody drive him from now on, and you know, he’s just a very special guy and I’m glad it’s resolved.”
Woods seeks treatment
Following the crash and subsequent legal proceedings, Woods announced he would step away from the sport to seek treatment and focus on his health, entering a treatment program in Switzerland. This marks Woods’ second arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence, with the first occurring in May 2017 in Jupiter Island, Florida, where he was found asleep at the wheel.
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