Tiger Woods changed his plea on Wednesday to guilty of reckless driving in his Florida DUI case, months after pleading not guilty to two misdemeanor charges.
The golf legend agreed to a five-year suspension of his driver’s license and a $1,000 fine. He was seen smiling during the hearing at Martin County Courthouse.
Woods previously pled not guilty to charges of DUI with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test.
A press conference is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. ET Wednesday.
The charges against Woods stem from his rollover crash on Florida’s Jupiter Island in March. Woods’ Land Rover clipped a truck and rolled onto its side in the incident, officials said. An arrest report said he was traveling at high speeds on a beachside residential road with a 30 mph speed limit. The report also said Woods caused $5,000 in damage to the truck he hit.
Woods was uninjured and told a deputy he had been looking down at his phone and changing the radio station at the time of the collision, according to the report. Deputies at the scene said Woods appeared impaired. While he agreed to a Breathalyzer test that registered zero alcohol, he refused to submit to a urine test. He also told police he had taken “a few” prescription medications, according to the arrest report, and two pills later identified as the opioid hydrocodone were found in his pants pocket.
Woods was arrested and later pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence. He said at the time that he was “stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment” and “work toward lasting recovery.” He made his first public appearance after treatment in June, when he introduced the PGA Tour’s plans to revamp its schedule for 2028.
Woods, 50, is considered one of the most influential figures in golf. In 1997, he became the first person of Black heritage to win the Masters. But while he has broken records, his career has been marred by car accidents, a pain pill dependence and multiple back and knee surgeries.
In 2021, Woods survived a crash in Los Angeles that injured his right leg so badly that he said doctors considered amputating the limb. In 2017, he was arrested on a DUI charge when Florida police found him asleep behind the wheel of his car. After the incident, he said he had taken a bad mix of painkillers. In 2009, his SUV plowed into a fire hydrant and tree outside his home near Orlando, Florida.
