Golf legend Tiger Woods’ mugshot — showing bloodshot eyes and a blank stare — spread rapidly across social media Saturday following his arrest on misdemeanor DUI charges after a single-vehicle rollover crash in South Florida.
Woods, 50, was arrested about 2 p.m. Friday on South Beach Road in Martin County after authorities said he attempted to pass a flatbed truck at high speed, clipped the vehicle and caused his Land Rover SUV to roll onto its side. No one was injured.
Deputies said Woods appeared lethargic and showed signs of impairment at the scene. He performed field sobriety tests after explaining his recent injuries and surgeries, Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said in a news conference. A breathalyzer test registered triple zeros — a 0.00 blood-alcohol level. No alcohol or drugs were found in the vehicle.
At the jail, Woods refused a urine test, leading to an additional charge. He was booked on two misdemeanor counts: DUI with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test. He posted bail and was released late Friday night.
The mugshot, released hours after the arrest, quickly drew widespread attention online, echoing the golfer’s widely mocked 2017 booking photo from a prior DUI case in Palm Beach County.
Was the arrest justified despite the 0.00 breathalyzer?
Florida law defines DUI as driving under the influence of alcohol or any controlled substance that impairs normal faculties. Police cited observable signs of impairment — including lethargy — combined with the crash circumstances as probable cause.
“Mr. Woods did exemplify signs of impairment,” Budensiek said. “They did several tests on him. … We really weren’t suspicious of alcohol being involved in this case, and that proved to be true at the jail.”
Legal experts note that field sobriety observations, the crash and the refusal itself provided officers with legal grounds to arrest. Refusal to submit to a chemical test can be used as evidence of consciousness of guilt in court.
What is the likely legal outcome?
Florida defense attorneys following the case say the full DUI charge may be difficult to prove without chemical evidence of a controlled substance.
“They have no case, no DUI case. Period, full stop,” said longtime South Florida DUI lawyer Robert Reiff. Without urine or blood results, prosecutors would have to rely solely on officer observations and the refusal.
Woods faces a separate second-degree misdemeanor for refusing the urine test under “Trenton’s Law,” a statute that took effect Oct. 1, 2025. It carries up to 60 days in jail, a fine and automatic driver’s license suspension.
This is Woods’ second DUI-related arrest in nine years. In 2017, he pleaded guilty to reckless driving after being found asleep behind the wheel with multiple prescription drugs in his system. That case ended with probation, community service and no jail time.
Attorneys predict a similar resolution is likely: a plea bargain to reckless driving or resolution of the refusal charge, avoiding a full DUI conviction that would carry harsher penalties, including possible installation of an ignition interlock device. A short license suspension, fines between $500 and $1,000, community service and DUI school are considered probable outcomes.
Woods has not publicly commented. A spokesman for the Martin County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation remains active.
The case is scheduled to move to county court, where Woods’ attorneys are expected to challenge the strength of the impairment evidence.
Flip the pages for photos of the crash.
