Tiger Woods is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday, Sept. 2, for a change-of-plea hearing tied to his DUI arrest earlier this year.
Woods was involved in a two-vehicle crash in Jupiter Island, Florida in March and charged with suspicion of driving under the influence. He was found carrying two hydrocodone pills at the scene. Woods told a sheriff’s deputy he had been looking at his phone and changing the radio station when he failed to notice the vehicle ahead of him had slowed.
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The responding deputy noted several impairment indicators, including profuse sweating, bloodshot and glassy eyes, slow movements and persistent hiccups. Woods denied consuming alcohol but acknowledged taking prescription medication that morning, telling the deputy, “I take a few.” He also disclosed a medical history of seven back surgeries and more than 20 leg operations, a factor that shaped how deputies administered field sobriety tests.
Woods initially pleaded not guilty. His attorney filed a petition to change the plea on Tuesday morning, and the hearing is set for 8:30 a.m. at the Martin County courthouse on Wednesday.
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In July, a judge ruled that Woods’ medical records could be reviewed by prosecutors in the case. He had been scheduled to appear in court next week before Tuesday’s filing moved the timeline up. It remains unclear whether Woods has reached a plea deal with prosecutors, or what the new plea will be.
Following the arrest, Woods announced he was stepping away from golf to seek treatment. A judge permitted him to travel to an international treatment facility, and he returned in June. Woods made his first public appearance since the crash at the Travelers Championship this summer, during the PGA Tour’s announcement on changes to the tour’s future.
