Most people celebrate turning 50 by buying a sensible jumper or perhaps a slightly embarrassing bicycle. Tiger Woods decided to kick off his half century by rolling his car in Florida and getting a new set of police charges. The man who once made golf look cool is now making a car crash look like a recurring hobby.
Tiger is officially stepping away from the game again. He wants to focus on his health and seek treatment after his latest run in with a truck and several laws. This time, the 15 times major champion faces charges for driving under the influence, property damage, and refusing to take a test. It seems Tiger is much better at hitting a tiny white ball than he is at hitting the brakes.
The Not So Secret Life of an Icon
According to the police report, officers found the golf legend looking a bit worse for wear. He was sweating buckets, his pupils were huge, and he had two hydrocodone pills in his pocket. For those who do not spend their time reading medical labels, that is a heavy duty painkiller. Tiger claimed he was going to win his battle with health, but his lawyers are currently busy entering a written plea of not guilty.
This latest drama has predictably scrapped his plans for the Masters next month. Fans were hoping to see him at Augusta National, either playing or at least showing off a public golf course he helped redesign. Instead, the only grass he will be seeing lately is the stuff on the side of a Florida motorway.
A History of Bad Turns
We have seen this film before, and the sequel is not getting better. Remember 2009 when he hit a fire hydrant and lost his sponsors? Or 2017 when police found him asleep at the wheel? Or 2021 when he nearly lost a leg in another crash? Tiger has had more surgeries and car accidents than most people have had hot dinners.
The PGA Tour and the Masters chairman are playing the nice guys, saying they support Tiger as a person. They even said his presence will be felt at Augusta, which is a polite way of saying he is definitely not coming. Even Rory McIlroy will have to eat his champion’s dinner without Tiger there to crack jokes.
The Long Road to Recovery
Tiger says he is committed to returning in a stronger place. He recently tried a comeback in an indoor golf league after even more back surgery, but it seems his body and his car have other ideas. He is asking for privacy for his family, which is fair enough, though crashing a car into a truck is a strange way to stay out of the spotlight.
While the sporting world waits to see if he can pull off one more miracle on the greens, Tiger is heading back to rehab. At this point, his medical records are probably longer than his career highlights. We wish him well, but perhaps it is time someone took his car keys away for good.
Do you think Tiger can actually make a comeback this time, or has he finally run out of lives?
Related topics: Golf
