After a brief return to Florida, Tiger Woods is reportedly back in Switzerland for treatment after a car crash and DUI arrest near his home. More reports indicate golf fans are unlikely to see him make a miraculous return to the sport any time soon.
The 50-year-old legend of golf was recovering from back surgery, hoping to play in the Masters when he was in a rollover crash in Jupiter Island in March. Woods was arrested and charged with DUI and refusing to submit to a drug test after deputies on the scene found him sweating profusely with “extremely dilated” pupils. A judge granted him permission to leave the country for rehab, and that was expected to be that for Woods’ chance to add to his 15 major titles.
That was all but made official May 26 when SI reported that Woods had not submitted his entry forms to play in July’s British Open by the deadline. Because he no longer has an exemption to play in the U.S. Open in June, that means it will be two straight years without Tiger in a major.
Woods posted a Memorial Day tribute to his late father, breaking his silence that began March 31 when he announced he was taking an extended break from golf. That break will likely extend to 2027 at the earliest, and it’s worth wondering whether we’ve seen his last round of competitive golf.
Tiger Woods Florida legal case update
Woods’s attorneys were ordered to hand his prescription orders to prosecutors during a hearing May 12 at the Martin County Courthouse. The judge stipulated that the records would not be made public, which goes against traditional Florida sunshine laws regarding public records.
Woods had two pills of hydrocodone, a prescription painkiller, in his pocket when he was arrested March 27. It was his second DUI arrest, the first coming in 2017 in Jupiter. He has dealt with severe back pain for the better part of 15 years, undergoing his seventh back procedure in October.
Woods was not present at the hearing, but the following day, he was photographed getting off his private jet at Palm Beach International Airport. A judge had granted him permission to attend intensive rehab in Zurich, Switzerland, where Woods has reportedly been since early April. According to People, Woods briefly returned to Florida to be with his girlfriend, Vanessa Trump, who announced May 20 that she was diagnosed with breast cancer. He also reportedly came back for the high school graduation of Kai Trump, her daughter with ex-husband Donald Trump Jr.
Is Tiger Woods playing in US Open?
No. Woods hasn’t played enough to qualify the traditional way, and he is out of exemptions to make the field at Shinnecock Hills. The USGA allows players who won a U.S. Open within the past 10 years to play. Woods’ last U.S. Open title came in 2008, when he won a playoff against Rocco Mediate at Torrey Pines.
When did Tiger Woods last play on PGA Tour?
Woods last played in a competitive golf tournament on July 19, 2024, when he missed the cut at the British Open. He last played competitive golf in the finals of TGL, the indoor tech-infused team golf league near his home in Palm Beach County. Woods’ Jupiter Links team lost to Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood and Los Angeles Golf Club.
When is US Open 2026?
The 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills in New York will take place June 18-21.
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Contributing: Will Greenlee, TCPalm
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Will Tiger Woods play in US Open? Latest on his Florida legal case
Reporting by Dan Rorabaugh, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
