President Donald Trump has expressed sympathy for Tiger Woods after the golfer was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence following a car crash in Florida. Woods, 50, crashed his Land Rover on Jupiter Island on Friday afternoon after clipping a machinery truck at speed. He was subsequently arrested for DUI.
Trump described Woods as a close friend and said he 'feels so badly' for him. 'He's got some difficulty,' Trump said before the arrest was confirmed. 'He's an amazing person, an amazing man. Some difficulty, I don't want to talk about it.'
Woods emerged uninjured from the crash, with Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek noting that 'this could have been a lot worse.' Authorities suspect Woods was impaired by medication; he passed a breathalyser test but refused a urine sample. This is his second DUI arrest, following a 2017 incident that led him to seek treatment for prescription medication.
Woods remains in county jail for at least eight hours under state law until he can be released on bond. The incident is the third major crash for Woods, who was seriously injured in a 2021 rollover in California where he was driving at twice the speed limit. He later said he was lucky to be alive and to keep his leg.
Woods has been recovering from a seventh back surgery and his participation in next month's Masters is uncertain. Trump previously suggested Woods would not play, stating, 'I love Tiger, but he won't be there. He'll be there, but he won't be playing in it.'
