Tiger Woods spent his Memorial Day morning in handcuffs as the former number one ranked golfer in the world was arrested under suspicion of DUI. The arrest took place in Jupiter, Florida around 3 a.m. Monday morning Jupiter police spokeswoman Kristin Rightler said. Woods is currently rehabbing from back surgery.
Woods was booked in a local county jail and was released a few hours later on his own recognizance with no bond according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office online records. There has been no confirmation that Woods was under the influence. There also has been no confirmation that there was anybody else in the car with him.
At this point in time, there has been no official statement from Woods or his representatives.
This arrest is just another blow to the legacy of Tiger Woods. At one point considered one of the greatest athletes of all time, the downfall of his career has been well documented. Despite a plethora of injuries and operations, Woods still continues to attempt to get back on the green in an attempt to play again. He is currently second all time with 14 career major tournament wins, only behind Jack Nicklaus. The 41-year-old Woods has not played in a professional tournament since February.
The news on Woods’ arrest comes as a gut punch to his fans, because Woods only a few days ago said in a personal blog that he “hadn’t felt this good in years.” He had his most recent back surgery just a little over a month ago and claimed that he was feeling great and almost ready to return to the course. This arrest seems to have halted those plans for now.
Woods also mentioned in his blog post that his surgery provided him with instant nerve relief to his back. He also went into details on when exactly he would be ready to start playing golf again. He mentioned that he would not be able to twist his back from swinging a club for another two or three months.
“Right now, my sole focus is rehab and doing what the doctors tell me,” Woods wrote in his blog. “I am concentrating on short-term goals. I want to thank my doctors for their great work and support throughout this process. I also want to thank the fans for your phenomenal support. It means more than you know. There’s a long way to go, but as I said, words cannot convey how good it feels to be pain-free.”
Fast forward a couple days, the news surrounding Tiger Woods isn’t as positive.
This is not Woods’ first high-profile mishap. In November 2009, the golfer was taken to a hospital after he was injured in a car accident in front of his Orlando home. The story only got worse for Woods because in the days afterward, it became public that Woods had been unfaithful to his then-wife, Elin Nordegren.
After the car accident and incident with his ex-wife, Woods stepped away from professional golf and apologized for having extramarital affairs and for letting down both his fans and his family. Woods and Nordegren officially divorced in 2010.
Amazingly, Woods has not won a major tournament in nearly nine years. The 2008 US Open was the last time Woods was on top of the golfing world. He won the US Open in sudden death over Rocco Mediate.
It seems as though the odds are stacked against Woods in terms of returning to being one of the top golfers in the world. Unfortunately, his body has not held up and has prevented him from capturing the record for most major tournament wins. A record once believed to be in the bag for Tiger.
The book on Tiger Woods’ career is not officially closed, however, it seems that we are in the last few chapters.
Featured Image via Getty/Darren Carroll
