Golfer Tiger Woods has been granted an early release from his probation stemming from a reckless driving charge he pled guilty to in October of 2017. Woods was due to complete his probation next month, but the court decided to grant him relief and terminate the probation ahead of schedule, as detailed at Bleacher Report . While no specific reasons were provided as to why Woods was provided relief on his remaining time of about three weeks, even though he did not request it, it is thought that it was a standard move based on having complied with the conditions of his probation.
Woods was arrested on May 28, 2017, when he was found asleep in his Mercedes. He was arrested on the grounds of suspicion of DUI, at which time blood and urine samples were collected. Toxicology reports returned the presence of Xanax, Ambien, and THC in his system, along with Vicodin and Dilaudid, according to Golf Digest . While it was never disclosed if Woods had prescriptions for all the drugs in his system, marijuana is legal in Florida, and Woods was coming off of his fourth back surgery, possibly explaining the combination of other drugs in his system.
#UPDATE : The PBC State Attorney ends #TigerWoods ‘ probation one month early, as of 9/12. Woods was in the first time DUI offender program. While in the program, Woods had random drug/alcohol testing and was not able to consume alcohol. @wptv #wptv https://t.co/bkt3jC3Pfe pic.twitter.com/XASPJFVQtx
— Sam Smink (@samsminknews) September 18, 2018
At the time of his arrest, Woods released a statement which did allude to the presence of drugs being related to pain management, although some questioned if an M.D. had prescribed him the drugs, or if he had acquired them through surreptitious means, per Golf Digest .
“As I previously said, I received professional help to manage my medications. Recently, I had been trying on my own to treat my back pain and a sleep disorder, including insomnia, but I realize now it was a mistake to do this without medical assistance. I am continuing to work with my doctors, and they feel I’ve made significant progress. I remain grateful for the amazing support that I continue to receive and for the family and friends that are assisting me.”
After being arrested last year for reckless driving, Tiger Woods is finally off probation. https://t.co/7fqUMToUlT pic.twitter.com/AEpHUOiOTz
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) September 19, 2018
Sports Illustrated reported that Woods was ordered to pay a $250 fine plus court costs, perform 20 hours of community service, submit to random drug testing, avoid alcohol use, and attend a workshop where victims of impaired drivers discussed how their life was impacted. It was reported by Bleacher Report that Woods has completed each requirement successfully. Woods Will be playing in the upcoming Ryder Cup, and should the team win, he will legally be allowed to have a celebratory drink, if he so desires, now that his probation has ended.
