Tiger Woods made a rare public statement on Tuesday, five months on from his DUI arrest in Florida.
The golfing legend, 50, has kept a low profile since being charged with driving under the influence after he was detained on March 27 after flipping his SUV while trying to overtake a truck and trailer at high speed in the billionaire enclave of Jupiter Island.
However, he resurfaced on social media this week as he weighed in on the radical changes to the PGA Tour.
The Tour announced on Tuesday that it would be overhauling its playoff format, which currently is 72 holes of stroke play for the top 30 players, from 2028.
The PGA Tour is reshaping its postseason for 2028 by ending the year with a Tour Championship played over two weeks at different golf courses involving match play.
Woods welcomed the changes in a brief statement on social media, marking one of the rare occasions he has spoken out publicly since his latest arrest.
Tiger Woods welcomed the changes to the PGA Tour’s postseason format on Tuesday
Woods was detained on March 27 after his arrest for DUI in Martin County, Florida
‘The conclusion of the season should be worthy of the journey it takes to get there,’ the 15-time major winner wrote.
‘Today’s announcement is a result of the hard work and passion of our players. Excited to usher in a new era of match play on the @PGATOUR.’
Starting in 2028, the BMW Championship – the only postseason event that rotates is being held that year at Olympia Fields near Chicago – will be for the leading 90 players on the points list. Points from the season continue, and the leader will be the season champion and bonus money distributed accordingly.
The top 32 after the BMW Championship will be broken into eight groups of four-player pools. The leading two players from each pool advance to the final event, which will be match play over four days. Even players eliminated early will play through Sunday to determine final positions.
That means the BMW Championship will offer three trophies – the BMW Championship, the Western Golf Association and the PGA Tour Championship Series Finale.
And the second week of the postseason will have no trophy at all – it’s all about being among the 16 players who advance to the last event.
Woods last posted on July 17, complimenting fellow professional Tommy Fleetwood’s performance at the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.
He has only shared two other messages since he broke his silence on his DUI arrest on March 31, one commemorating Memorial Day and another also commenting on changes to the PGA Tour’s format.
Woods is slated to finally appear in court in relation to his arrest in September, following multiple postponements.
The 15-time major winner welcomed the changes in a brief statement on social media
After police found two opioid painkillers in his pocket, Woods was charged with DUI, property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test
He was charged with DUI, property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test after police found two opioid painkillers in his pocket.
Woods sought professional help in Zurich, Switzerland, afterwards, briefly returning to Florida after girlfriend Vanessa Trump revealed her breast cancer diagnosis.
Nearly five months on from the initial crash, it’s been revealed that Woods will finally make his first courtroom appearance over the matter on September 8.
The date had reportedly been postponed a number of times amid prosecutors continuing the investigation process in South Florida.
He will be represented by attorney Douglas Duncan. Woods had waived his arraignment and requested a jury trial over the matter.
His most recent hearing was held on August 4, following a July ruling that allowed prosecutors to obtain Woods’ hospital records that were connected to the crash.
Martin County circuit court judge Darren Steele approved an agreement between the State Attorney’s Office and Woods’ legal team that allowed prosecutors to request records from the hospital that treated the PGA legend following his crash.
Back in May, Steele approved a similar agreement granting prosecutors access to Woods’ prescription medication records from his Palm Beach pharmacy between January 1 and his March crash.
Woods was in rehab in Switzerland when Vanessa Trump received her breast cancer diagnosis
Prosecutors and Woods’ attorney have agreed to a protective order that limits the release of any hospital or prescription records to the State Attorney’s Office, law enforcement, state experts and the defense.
Woods was closing in on a return to golf and was widely expected to compete at The Masters in the days before the crash.
He hasn’t competed since the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon in Scotland and has since undergone surgery to repair a torn Achilles as well as a seventh back procedure.
The latest saga is the fourth time he has been in trouble after being behind the wheel of a car.
He was arrested for another DUI in 2017 after police found him slumped in his car in Florida with five drugs in his system, including two painkillers.
Woods was later involved in a similar crash in 2021 in California, which shattered his right leg after he was trapped under the vehicle. He needed multiple surgeries in order to recover from his injuries and has struggled with the troubling heel issue plantar fasciitis ever since.
He also crashed into a fire hydrant in November 2009 as he tried to flee his Florida home after his then-wife Elin Nordegren discovered his infidelities.
