NEED TO KNOW
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Tiger Woods won’t play the Masters when the tournament tees off next week
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The pro golfer said on Tuesday that he would be stepping away to seek treatment following his DUI arrest and car accident last week in Florida
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Woods, 50, played in the TGL finals last Tuesday, March 24, returning to competitive golf for the first time since June 2024
Tiger Woods will not play in the Masters in the wake of his car crash and arrest.
Organizers of the iconic tournament confirmed the news in a statement on social media on Tuesday, March 31.
“Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament fully support Tiger Woods as he focuses on his well-being,” Fred Ridley, Augusta National Golf Club chairman, said in a statement. “Although Tiger will not be joining us in person next week, his presence will be felt here in Augusta.”
On Tuesday, Woods announced that he would be stepping away from the sport to seek treatment following his arrest on DUI charges on Friday, March 27.
“I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in today,” Woods, 50, wrote in a statement posted on X on Tuesday evening. “I am stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health. This is necessary in order for me to prioritize my well-being and work toward lasting recovery.”
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He added in part, “I’m committed to taking the time needed to return in a healthier, stronger, and more focused place, both personally and professionally.”
Woods was arrested on Friday afternoon after he rolled over his Range Rover in a two-car accident in Jupiter Island, Fla. In an affidavit obtained by PEOPLE on Tuesday, deputies with the Martin County Sheriff’s Office found two hydrocodone pills in Woods’ left pants pocket while at the scene.
Deputies at the scene also “observed several signs of impairment” in Woods, including “bloodshot and glassy” eyes and “extremely dilated” pupils, the probable cause affidavit said.
Woods allegedly had trouble walking without a limp and wore a compression sock over his right knee and “appeared to have a leg injury,” a deputy observed.
The pro golfer told authorities that he had taken his medicine that morning, and that he has had seven back surgeries and over 20 operations on his leg, the affidavit stated.
Tiger Woods celebrates after sinking the winning putt in the 2019 Masters Tournament.
Credit: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Last week Woods returned to competitive golf, one year after rupturing his Achilles, when he played with his Jupiter Links team in the TGL finals.
The golfer looked to be in good spirits and was seen hugging and kissing his girlfriend Vanessa Trump.
His return to Augusta — where he has won five times — was never certain, however.
“I’ve been trying. Just this body is — it doesn’t recover like it did when it was 24, 25,” Woods told reporters last week, two weeks before the tournament’s start on April 9. “It doesn’t mean I’m not trying. I’ve been trying for a while. I’ve had a couple bad injuries here over the past years that I’ve had to fight through, and it’s taken some time. But I keep trying. I want to play. I love the tournament. I’ve loved being there since I was 19 years old. It’s meant a lot to me and my family over the years.”
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