Tiger Woods was taken into custody in March on suspicion of driving under the influence after a rollover crash near his Jupiter Island home.
STUART, Fla. — Tiger Woods entered a no-contest plea Wednesday to a reckless driving charge stemming from a March rollover crash near his Florida residence, a case in which he was first accused of driving under the influence.
The golf star appeared in a Martin County courtroom, where he accepted the lesser charge. The judge also ordered Woods’ driver’s license to be suspended for five years.
Woods, 50, spoke only briefly during the proceeding. Before the hearing began, he sat at the defense table and looked back toward the courtroom gallery. He arrived at the courthouse with his girlfriend, Vanessa Trump, the former daughter-in-law of President Donald Trump, who sat behind him as the case was heard.
After the hearing, Woods exited the courthouse without speaking to reporters.
Court records show Woods also pleaded no contest to refusing to submit to testing and was ordered to pay court costs.
A no-contest plea does not amount to an admission of guilt, but it means a defendant is not challenging the charge. In the criminal justice system, the plea is handled as a conviction.
Authorities said Woods was arrested after his SUV struck a truck and overturned onto its side along a beachside residential road on Jupiter Island. According to a sheriff’s report, deputies found two pain pills in his pocket and noted signs of impairment. Woods submitted to a Breathalyzer test, which was negative, but declined to provide a urine sample.
Woods had pleaded not guilty to the original DUI charge.
Neither Woods nor the person in the other vehicle were injured in the crash, according to officials. But his Land Rover caused $5,000 in damage to the truck, according to a police report. Woods had told a deputy that he was looking down at his phone and changing the radio station when he hit the truck.
Woods is among the most influential figures in golf, but his career has been derailed by multiple back and knee surgeries, car crashes and dependence on pain medication.
Woods has been involved in four crashes over the years. He took a leave from the golf tour after the 2009 crash and again after the latest crash and has yet to return to tournament play.
Woods left the United States to seek treatment at an inpatient treatment facility, according to court records.
Woods made his first public appearance since returning from treatment on June 23 when he introduced the PGA Tour’s plans to revamp its schedule for 2028. Woods remained as chairman of the tour’s Future Competition Committee after his arrest. He did not take questions during that appearance.
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