Tiger Woods has not played a golf tournament since July 2024. A ruptured Achilles and two back operations kept him out through 2025, and a car crash on 27 March 2026 brought criminal charges. He pleaded no contest to reckless driving on 2 September 2026 and lost his license for five years.
What the 2 September Plea Deal Settled
The plea closed Woods’ criminal case without a trial, a conviction for driving under the influence, or any jail time.
Woods, 50, appeared in a Martin County, Florida courtroom on 2 September 2026. Prosecutors amended the original charge of driving under the influence down to willful and wanton reckless driving, and Woods entered a plea of no contest, which resolves a charge without an admission of guilt. His driver’s license was suspended for five years.
What the deal did not do is settle anything about his golf career. No court date determines when a 50-year-old with a replaced spinal disc can play four competitive rounds again, and Woods said nothing about a return at the hearing. His attorney declined to comment afterwards.
Why the Charge Was Filed as a Second Offence
Woods had been through a near-identical case in Florida nine years earlier.
In May 2017 he was arrested in Jupiter, Florida, after police found him asleep behind the wheel of a stopped car. On 27 October 2017 he pleaded guilty to reckless driving and entered a DUI diversion programme that included a year of probation, a fine and court-ordered classes. That earlier plea is why the 2026 charge was framed as a second offence of willful and wanton reckless driving.
The two cases resolved the same way, nine years apart: a DUI charge reduced to reckless driving, no jail, and conditions attached. The penalties in 2026 were heavier, most obviously the five-year loss of his license against the one-year probation in 2017.
What Happened in the Crash on 27 March 2026
Woods crashed a Land Rover into a trailer on Jupiter Island, Florida, and the vehicle rolled onto its side. Nobody was hurt.
The sequence set out in the sheriff’s account and repeated across court reporting runs like this:
- Woods’ vehicle crossed double solid lines on a residential street and moved around a truck towing a trailer.
- It struck the trailer at speed and flipped onto its driver’s side.
- Woods climbed out. Neither he nor the other driver was injured.
- He told Martin County Sheriff’s deputies he had been looking at his phone and changing the radio station.
- Deputies recorded that he walked unsteadily and had dilated pupils. A breath test detected no alcohol.
- Woods said he had taken hydrocodone earlier that day, and deputies found pills in his pocket.
- He declined a urine test and was arrested on charges of DUI and refusal to submit to lawful testing.
Why Prosecutors Dropped the DUI Charge
The state said its evidence of impairment weakened as the investigation went on.
Martin County State Attorney Thomas Bakkedahl described “a significant deterioration of the proof” in the case, and his office concluded there was not enough evidence of impairment to carry a DUI prosecution. The breath test showing no alcohol is the clearest part of that: a prescription-medication DUI is far harder to prove without a chemical test, and Woods had refused one.
Bakkedahl was not lenient in how he framed it. “Of all the people in the world who should not get behind the wheel of the car, it’s the gentleman who is one of the most recognizable faces on the planet,” he said of the case.
Why He Stepped Away in April 2026
Five days after the crash, Woods announced he was leaving golf indefinitely to seek treatment.
In a statement posted on 1 April 2026 he wrote: “I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in today. I am stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health.” He added that he intended to come back “in a healthier, stronger, and more focused place, both personally and professionally.”
The same day, Martin County Judge Darren Steele granted a defence request allowing Woods to undertake comprehensive inpatient treatment outside the United States. He returned to Florida in mid-May 2026, according to reports at the time. Woods has not discussed the treatment publicly, and this article does not speculate about it.
He also turned down the 2027 Ryder Cup captaincy in early April 2026, a role he had been widely expected to take.
The Injuries That Had Already Stopped Him
Woods was out of competitive golf for a full year before the crash, on medical grounds alone.
The run of setbacks is long and specific. He had microdecompression surgery on his lower back in September 2024, and an earlier comeback attempt after back surgery ended with him withdrawing mid-tournament. In March 2025 he ruptured his left Achilles tendon while building up his training for a return, had it surgically repaired, and missed all of the 2025 season.
Then came the back again. On 10 October 2025, surgeons replaced a lumbar disc at L4/5. Woods said scans had found “a collapsed disk in L4/5, disc fragments and a compromised spinal canal”. The operation was carried out by Dr Sheeraz Qureshi at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, and no return timetable was given.
By February 2026 he was hitting full shots and would not rule out the Masters, calling Augusta National “a possible landing spot”. He did not play there in April. The crash intervened first.
When Did Tiger Woods Last Play a Full Tournament?
His last competitive appearance was the 2024 Open Championship in July, and his last completed 72 holes came three months earlier at the Masters.
Those are two different dates, and mixing them up is why readers get conflicting answers. At Royal Troon in July 2024 he opened with 79, added 77 and missed the cut at 14 over par. That was his final round of tournament golf to date. The last time he played all four rounds of a professional event was the 2024 Masters in April, where he finished 60th.
Everything since has been exhibition or off-course. He captains and hosts Jupiter Links in TGL, the indoor simulator league he co-founded, but that is not tournament golf and does not count toward any ranking.
Is Tiger Woods Retired?
No. Woods has never announced a retirement, and as recently as February 2026 he said he was trying to come back.
The accurate description is that he is an active player who has not entered a tournament in more than two years. He holds a lifetime exemption on the PGA Tour as a past champion, so nothing expires while he waits, and he entered the 2026 U.S. Senior Open in March purely to preserve eligibility before withdrawing from consideration.
Two records explain why the distinction still matters to anyone following it. Woods has won 15 major championships, three short of Jack Nicklaus’s 18, and 82 PGA Tour titles, level with Sam Snead’s all-time record. Neither number has moved since 2019, when he won his fifth Masters, and neither can move while he is not entering tournaments.
The gap between “not retired” and “playing again” is where his career now sits. He has missed all four majors in both 2025 and 2026, and in May 2026 USGA chief executive Mike Whan said he would be “super surprised” if Woods appeared in any 2026 USGA championship. That prediction held.
What a Comeback Would Realistically Look Like
The likeliest route back is the senior circuit, not the PGA Tour.
Woods turned 50 on 30 December 2025, which made him eligible for PGA Tour Champions. That tour permits the use of a cart, and for a player who has had a spinal fusion, a disc replacement and a repaired Achilles, not walking 72 holes over four days is the difference between possible and not. Ernie Els said in July 2026 that the two had discussed Woods playing senior events.
Smaller fields are the other option. His own Hero World Challenge in December and the PNC Championship, a two-day team event he has played with his son, are limited-field affairs with no cut, and both have served as return vehicles for him before.
Access is not the obstacle everywhere, but it is in places. His lifetime PGA Tour exemption gets him into regular tour events whenever he chooses, and past champions are invited to the Masters indefinitely. The U.S. Open is different: Woods is no longer automatically eligible and would need a special exemption from the USGA or would have to qualify.
What no one can currently answer is whether his back tolerates competitive rounds at all. Woods himself has said he can hit full shots but not well every day, and he has set no target date.
Where Tiger Woods Stands as of 8 September 2026
As of 8 September 2026, Woods has no criminal case pending, no driver’s license, no announced return date and no tournament entry.
The legal matter ended six days ago with the no-contest plea. He remains a 15-time major champion and a five-time Masters winner with a lifetime PGA Tour exemption he has not used since 2024. He has made no public statement about his playing plans since the hearing, and no golf body has listed him in an upcoming field. The next verified milestone in this story will be whichever comes first: an entry, or a statement.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Was Tiger Woods Charged With?
He was arrested on 27 March 2026 on charges of driving under the influence and refusing to submit to lawful testing, after a crash on Jupiter Island, Florida. On 2 September 2026 the DUI charge was amended to willful and wanton reckless driving, and he pleaded no contest.
Did Tiger Woods Go to Jail?
No. The plea deal carried no jail time. His driver’s license was suspended for five years.
When Did Tiger Woods Last Play Golf Competitively?
The 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon in July 2024, where he missed the cut. The last time he completed all four rounds of a tournament was the 2024 Masters in April, finishing 60th.
Has Tiger Woods Retired From Golf?
No. He has never announced a retirement and said in February 2026 that he was trying to return. He holds a lifetime PGA Tour exemption as a past champion.
What Injuries Has Tiger Woods Had Recently?
Microdecompression back surgery in September 2024, a ruptured left Achilles tendon repaired in March 2025, and a lumbar disc replacement at L4/5 on 10 October 2025. He missed the entire 2025 season and all four majors in 2025 and 2026.
Could Tiger Woods Play on the Senior Tour?
He is eligible. Woods turned 50 on 30 December 2025, which qualifies him for PGA Tour Champions, where players may use a cart. He entered the 2026 U.S. Senior Open in March to preserve eligibility but did not play it.
