Tiger Woods' DUI Arrest, Treatment Dominate Masters
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- Tiger Woods pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor DUI with property damage, refusal to submit to a lawful test, and a distracted driving violation after his SUV clipped a trailer near his Hobe Sound, Florida home on March 27
- Woods told deputies he had undergone seven back surgeries and over 20 surgeries on his right leg; officers found two hydrocodone pills in his pants pocket after he was handcuffed
- A judge granted Woods permission to travel outside the US, and his jet landed in Switzerland on Friday amid speculation he was entering a comprehensive inpatient treatment facility
- Phil Mickelson also announced last week he would miss the Masters for an extended period due to a family "personal health matter," marking the first time since 1994 neither golfer is in the field
- Jason Day called Woods' decision to drive under the influence "a little bit selfish" while emphasizing the human element, noting that decades of surgeries and recovery pain could fuel addiction struggles
- Bubba Watson said "I could care less about Tiger's golf" and revealed he urges other former champions to the 18th green for Woods' past Masters triumphs, stressing he pulls for Woods "as a human being"
- Patrick Reed acknowledged the simultaneous absence of Woods and Mickelson "honestly...hurts the game of golf" while making clear the priority is their health and recovery
Why it matters: With both Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson absent from the Masters for the first time since 1994, two of golf's defining figures are sidelined at once—one by a DUI arrest and opioid possession, the other by an undisclosed family health matter—forcing peers to publicly address addiction, recovery, and the sport's reliance on its aging superstars.
