The deputy who arrested Tiger Woods on suspicion of driving under the influence said he had pain pills in his pocket and showed signs of impairment at the scene of his car crash last week in Florida, according to her arrest report released Tuesday.
The report sheds light on the circumstances that led to Woods' second DUI arrest, the latest off-course trouble for the pro golfer whose name is synonymous with the sport itself
.Martin County Sheriff’s
deputy Tatiana Levenar reported that Woods told her he was looking down at his phone and changing the radio station when his Land Rover that was traveling at high speeds clipped the back of a truck and rolled onto its side on a residential road on Jupiter Island. Woods nor the driver of the truck were injured.
After the truck driver and another person helped Woods crawl out of the overturned vehicle, Levenar made contact with him, and detailed the interactions that led to his arrest on suspicion of DUI with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test.
Here's what she reported:
A deputy found two white pills in Woods’ pants pocket while searching him after the crash. The marks on the pills identified them as hydrocodone, according to the report. Hydrocodone is an opioid that is prescribed for pain, and was among the potentially addictive medications that were central to the U.S. opioid epidemic.
Woods has had many surgeries on his legs and back over the last two decades. Some of the surgeries were to treat injuries including cartilage and ligament damage, a ruptured tendon, arthritis, and damaged discs in his back.
The deputy wrote in the report that during a field sobriety test, she observed Woods limping and a compression sock over his right knee. He told the deputy that he takes a few prescription medications, according to the report, including “Vicodin” — a brand name drug containing hydrocodone that was taken off the market several years ago. People still commonly refer to generic hydrocodone medications as Vicodin.
Woods told Levenar he had seven back surgeries and over 20 operations on his leg, so she had him sit on the bumper of the patrol vehicle while she assessed him for any indications of intoxication. He was sweating profusely and his movement was “lethargic and slow,” she wrote.
“Once Woods removed his sunglasses, I observed his eyes to be bloodshot and glassy, I observed his pupils to be extremely dilated,” she wrote. Woods denied consuming alcohol or taking any illegal substances, she said.
He told deputies he did not realize the truck in front of him had slowed down.
Levenar said she had to repeat the instructions to Woods several times while conducting the sobriety tests, and he did not perform some of the exercises correctly.
“Based on my observations of Woods, how he performed the exercises and based on my training, knowledge and experience, I believed that Woods normal faculties were impaired, and he was unable to safely operate the motor vehicle,” Levenar wrote.
At the jail, Woods agreed to perform a breath test to determine any blood-alcohol content, the deputy wrote. He agreed, and those tests showed no signs of alcohol.
The golfer declined to submit to a urine test, however.
His refusal can be prosecuted under a change to Florida law last year, and a legal expert says prosecutors can build a DUI case against him even without lab results.
Orlando defense attorney David Hill says prosecutors can use deputy testimony, and any video from the investigation showing that Woods had bloodshot eyes or other signs of intoxication. Hill isn't involved in Woods' case.
Meanwhile, defense attorneys can point to the lack of any lab results or other scientific evidence to potentially argue that there isn't enough evidence to convict, Hill said.
According to Levenar's report, the deputies' encounters with Woods were captured on body, car and jail room cameras.
Woods was arrested in 2017 for a DUI, and later pleaded guilty to reckless driving in connection to the case. At the time, he said he had taken a bad mix of painkillers when authorities found him asleep behind the wheel of his car. The engine was still running and the driver's side of the vehicle was damaged.
The arrest comes at a time when Woods was deciding whether to play in the Masters, which starts April 9. He has not walked more than 36 holes of competition since the 2024 British Open. He ruptured his Achilles tendon in March 2025 and had a seventh back surgery in October.
Woods was scheduled to appear with Masters chairman Fred Ridley on Sunday at “The Patch,” a municipal course in Augusta, Georgia, that has been refurbished and where Woods designed a short course called “The Loop.”
Unlike regular tournaments, Woods does not have to enter or commit to playing until the morning of the first round. He is eligible for life as a Masters champion. Players typically will inform Augusta National of their plans before the tee times are announced April 7.
Augusta National has not commented on his status.
Woods' agent, Mark Steinberg, with Excel Sports has not responded to multiple messages seeking comment.
Officials with the PGA Tour — where Woods is a board member — have not yet commented.
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AP journalists Mike Schneider in Orlando, Florida, and Doug Ferguson in Jacksonville, Florida, contributed to this report. Boone reported from Boise, Idaho.
