Tiger Woods appeared in court on Wednesday (September 2). Woods appeared before a judge to address his DUI arrest in Juniper, Florida earlier this year. After originally pleading not guilty to the charges, the golf star changed his plea to not guilty. And pleading guilty to the charges has come with some hefty consequences for the former PGA Tour champ.
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Tiger Woods Loses License After Pleading Guilty to DUI
As part of Woods' guilty plea, he will have to surrender his driver's license for five years. Which is relatively light when you consider his long rap sheet of DUI-related driving incidents.
Judge Darren Steele told the golf legend that the suspended license "is for the safety of the public."
"There are no exceptions," Steele said in court on Wednesday (via ESPN). "If you were to drive for any reason at all, you would go immediately back to jail."
After Woods changed his plea, there was an outpouring of reactions on social media.
"One of the Craziest falls from grace I've ever witnessed," one user wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"Guy just keeps breaking the law. Has no conscience," a second user chimed in.
"The refusal to test probably did more damage than the driving charge ever could," a third user remarked.
Tiger's Arrest Explained
Woods was arrested back in March after he was stopped by Juniper police on suspicion of driving under the influence. Although authorities stated he showed signs of "impairment," he blew "triple zeroes" for alcohol.
However, a police report obtained by Page Six revealed that "two white pills," later "revealed to be hydrocodone," were found in his jeans pocket on the night of his arrest.
The golf star was released on bail shortly after his arrest.
Following the latest incident, Woods released a statement saying that he was stepping out of the public eye. To focus on his mental health.
"I am stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health," he shared on X (formerly Twitter) at the time. "This is necessary for me to prioritize my well-being and work toward lasting recovery.
