Tiger Woods has not given up on his hopes of returning to professional golf, despite his shocking DUI arrest last month which cast doubt over his future in the sport.
Woods, 50, was detained on March 27 after flipping his SUV while trying to overtake a truck and trailer at high speed in the billionaire enclave of Jupiter Island. Police found two pills in his pocket after arriving at the scene.
The golf legend has been charged with driving under the influence, property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test. He pleaded not guilty and is slated to appear in court on May 5.
He is now believed to be in Zurich, Switzerland seeking professional help following the arrest. Furthermore, insiders revealed to the Daily Mail that Woods is showing encouraging signs after undergoing ‘intense treatment’ in rehab.
As the 50-year-old continues his road to recovery, a ‘golf insider’ has revealed that Woods is ‘desperate’ to return to the sport once his rehab is complete.
Speaking to People, the source said: ‘He knows he needs to beat his issues and also deal with the pain from not only playing golf but also from his regular fitness schedule.
‘People around him are supporting him, both personally and professionally. All of this is helping him deal with it enough to get through it.’
Meanwhile, another source told the same outlet that Woods ‘still has golf in him’, despite the concerning incident that unfolded in Jupiter Island, Florida.
‘He just wants to get better in all areas of his life,’ the source revealed to the outlet.
As Woods continues his road to recovery, girlfriend Vanessa Trump is said to be in full ‘support’ of the golf legend.
Another source, again speaking to People, revealed: ‘Tiger needed to do intensive therapy, and his girlfriend Vanessa has been in favor of it.
‘She still supports this and supports him. She loves him and knows that private treatment was necessary.’
They further claimed that the couple have a ‘strong bond’ and it was never in doubt that she would be there to support him on his road to recovery.
‘Vanessa suffered through some rough spots but has always been on his side even when she worried about him and softly mentioned that,’ they added.
Meanwhile, a source close to the 50-year-old recently revealed to the Daily Mail that Woods is showing encouraging signs after undergoing ‘intense treatment’ in rehab.
‘He’s got a pain management doctor who is helping him deal with his body pain without addictive opioids,’ the source told the Daily Mail. ‘He calls or Zooms a small number of people: Vanessa, his kids, Mark Steinberg.
‘He’s responding well to treatment, and Vanessa is very happy with what she’s hearing.’
Woods has been in a relationship for around 18 months with Vanessa, the ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr.
There had been speculation that their relationship could be on the rocks after his arrest, but Vanessa rubbished that talk by throwing her support behind Woods on Instagram.
A week after his arrest, she shared a loved-up photo of them together on Instagram and wrote: ‘Love you’.
Woods had flirted with a stunning Masters comeback prior to his arrest, although the possibility of it coming to fruition was always extremely unlikely.
‘Tiger paid casual attention to the Masters, but is more focused on recovery,’ the source added. ‘He’s getting both physical and psychological attention.
‘It’s a 90-day program but he’s able to leave whenever he wants.’
Meanwhile, shortly before his DUI arrest, Woods had reiterated that he was battling to play at Augusta as he made his long-awaited return to golf at the finals of TGL.
‘I’ve been trying. It’s just this body doesn’t recover like when I was 24, 25. It doesn’t mean I’m not trying – I’ve been trying for a while,’ Woods admitted at the time.
‘I’ve had a couple of back injuries the past year that I’ve had to fight through and it’s taken some time. But I keep trying.
‘I want to play, I’ve loved the tournament, I’ve loved being there since I was 19 years old. So it’s meant a lot to me and my family over the years and I’m going to be there either way.’
The latest saga is the fourth time that Woods has been in trouble after being behind the wheel of a car.
He was arrested for another DUI in 2017 after police found him slumped in his car in Florida with five drugs in his system, including two painkillers.
Woods was later involved in a similar crash in 2021 in California, which shattered his right leg after he was trapped under the vehicle. He needed multiple surgeries in order to recover from his injuries.
He also crashed into a fire hydrant in November 2009 as he tried to flee his Florida home after wife Elin Nordegren discovered he had been having an affair. It sparked an unraveling of his reputation that he has never truly recovered from.
Although he passed a breathalyzer test at the scene of the crash, officers said he was traveling at ‘high speeds’ and ‘showed signs of impairment’ when he rolled his SUV last month, including ‘bloodshot and glassy’ eyes with ‘extremely dilated pupils.’
A deputy found two white pills on Woods, which have since been identified as the opioid hydrocodone. He later refused to take a urine test resulting in his arrest and has since pleaded not guilty to a DUI charge.
In bodycam footage, the five-time Masters winner told police that he was ‘hoping to’ play in the Masters – but that it ‘depends on y’all.’
