Martin County prosecutors on Tuesday read formal charges of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs against golfer Tiger Woods, who did not attend the hearing held at a courthouse in Stuart, Florida, about 170 kilometers north of Miami.
Woods, 50, is charged in connection with a March 27 accident in Jupiter.
That day, the golfer was arrested with symptoms of physical deterioration, sweating “heavily” and walking in a “lethargic” manner, according to police officers, who said he was carrying two hydrocodone pills, an opioid painkiller.
Although he did not test positive for alcohol, he refused to submit to a urine test and was charged with driving under the influence.
The prosecution formalized Tuesday the charges against the athlete during the first hearing of the trial, in which the dates of the process that takes place in Martin County were also read.
Tiger Woods in serious trouble for driving under the influence of substances
The next hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, May 12, where it will be determined whether the case goes forward or both parties resolve it with a plea agreement.
Woods, who has pleaded not guilty, is currently outside the United States and will not return until Saturday, his lawyer told local media.
The golfer announced days after the accident that he was temporarily retiring from golf to receive treatment and focus on his health, after which he received judicial permission to leave for an undisclosed country.
Woods has been sidelined since 2024, recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon and also from his seventh back surgery.
However, he had sounded out the idea of participating in the Augusta Masters, the first ‘big one’ of the season that took place in April, which would have marked his return after almost two years of inactivity, reported Agencia EFE.
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