Tiger Woods, former world No. 1 golfer, was arrested in Jupiter, Fla. on Monday, charged with driving under the influence.
Woods blamed an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications and said that alcohol was not a factor in a statement released Monday evening.
“I want the public to know that alcohol was not involved. What happened was an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications,” he said.
“I didn’t realize the mix of medications had affected me so strongly.”
Woods was apprehended early Monday morning, and taken into custody around 3 a.m. ET. CBS affiliate WPEC is reporting that the arresting officer pulled Woods over, but the Jupiter Police don’t have additional information about what propelled the officer to do that.
Palm Beach County Jail records indicate Woods was released at 10:50 a.m. under his own recognizance. Bond payment amounts have not been revealed yet, nor have the circumstances of Woods’ release.
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Woods, 41, lives in southern Florida, and at the time of arrest he wasn’t far from his home.
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His full mugshot is below, courtesy of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
Last month, Woods underwent a spinal fusion surgery that “went well.” It’ll take the golfing legend about six months to recuperate, and he won’t be able to participate in any major golf competition for at least another year.
“When healed, I look forward to getting back to a normal life, playing with my kids, competing in professional golf and living without the pain I have been battling so long,” he said in a statement in April.
Woods, the 14-time major champion who ranks second with his 79 career victories on the PGA Tour, has not played for four months. He is out for the rest of the season while he recovers from his fourth back surgery.
Jupiter Police spokeswoman Kristin Rightler said she did not have additional details about the circumstances leading to Woods’ arrest, nor did she have any information about whether the arrest involved drugs or alcohol. She said an arrest report may be available Tuesday.
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His agent at Excel Sports, Mark Steinberg, did not immediately respond to a voicemail from The Associated Press. PGA Tour spokesman Ty Votaw said the tour would have no comment.
Woods has not been seen at a golf tournament since he opened with a 77 at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, withdrawing the next day because of back spasms. He was in Los Angeles for the Genesis Open, run by his Tiger Woods Foundation, but did not come to the course because of his back.
He was at the Masters, but only to attend the dinner for past champions.
Woods, who had been No. 1 longer than any other golfer, has not been a factor since his last victory in August 2013 as he battled through back surgeries from a week before the 2014 Masters until his most recent operation to fuse disks in his lower back a month ago.
It was the first time Woods has run into trouble off the golf course since he plowed his SUV into a tree and a fire hydrant outside his Windermere, Florida, home in the early morning after Thanksgiving in 2009, which led to revelations that he had multiple extramarital affairs.
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A police report then showed that a Florida trooper who suspected Woods was driving under the influence sought a subpoena for the golfer’s blood test results from the hospital, but prosecutors rejected the petition for insufficient information.
A witness, who wasn’t identified in the report, told the trooper he had been drinking alcohol earlier. The same witness also said Woods had been prescribed two drugs, the sleep aid Ambien and the painkiller Vicodin. The report did not say who the witness was but added it was the same person who pulled Woods from the vehicle after the accident. Woods’ wife has told police that she used a golf club to smash the back windows of the Cadillac Escalade to help her husband out.
He eventually was cited for careless driving and fined $164.
Woods and wife Elin Nordegren divorced in August 2010. He later had a relationship with Olympic ski champion Lindsey Vonn from 2013 that lasted two years.
— With files from The Associated Press and Reuters
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