Tiger Woods reaches plea deal in DUI case, loses license for five years

Tiger Woods avoided a jail sentence after reaching a pre-trial agreement in a Florida DUI case stemming from a March 27 crash. The original DUI charge was reduced to a second-offense reckless-driving charge, and the refusal-to-submit-urinalysis charge was also reduced. Both offenses carry five-year suspended sentences for his driver’s license, to be served concurrently, with jail possible for any violation.

Woods entered a no-contest plea to both charges and was ordered to pay fines of $1,000 and $500, which his attorney, Douglas Duncan, said would be paid immediately. He appeared at the Martin County courthouse with his girlfriend, Vanessa Trump, and left after the hearing without speaking to reporters.

The incident occurred when Woods’ vehicle clipped a pickup truck, causing his car to roll over. Police reported that Woods was looking at his cellphone and changing the radio station at the time of the crash. Although a breathalyzer showed no alcohol, Woods refused a urine test and admitted to taking “a few pills.” Two hydrocodone tablets were later found in his pocket, and officers described him as lethargic.

State attorney Thomas Bakkedahl said the case suffered “a significant erosion” of evidence, noting that toxicologists for both the defense and the state concluded Woods had developed a tolerance to his prescribed pain medication, making impairment difficult to prove. Bakkedahl explained that the lack of provable impairment led to the plea agreement.

"If he has a tolerance, then guess what? It doesn’t impair him. And if he’s not impaired, guess what? I can’t prove DUI. And if I can’t prove DUI, guess what? I better come up with another plan," Bakkedahl said.

"If I can send any message to Mr. Woods, it’s simply this: of all the people in the world who should not get behind the wheel of a car, it’s the gentleman who is one of the most recognizable faces on the planet. Somebody will see him, whether it’s in Georgia or Nevada or New York or where have you. He’s not to drive a car," Bakkedahl added.

Woods announced he would step away from competition to seek treatment and spent several weeks at a rehabilitation facility in Switzerland. He has made limited public appearances since returning, including a brief PGA Tour news conference in June and a video for former Stanford teammate Notah Begay.