A Florida judge has ruled that prosecutors can request hospital records from the facility that treated Tiger Woods following his March 27 DUI arrest. Martin County circuit court judge Darren Steele approved an agreement between the State Attorney's Office and Woods' legal team, which permits prosecutors to access records from the hospital that treated the PGA golfer after his rollover crash.
This ruling follows a similar agreement Steele approved in May that granted prosecutors access to Woods' prescription medication records from his Palm Beach pharmacy covering the period between January 1 and his arrest. Prosecutors and Woods' attorney, Doug Duncan, have agreed to a protective order. This order limits the release of any hospital or prescription records to the State Attorney's Office, law enforcement, state experts, and the defense.
Woods is scheduled to return to court on August 4. The 50-year-old golfer was arrested on March 27 after his SUV overturned while attempting to overtake a truck at high speed on Jupiter Island. Police found two opioid painkillers in his pocket at the scene and subsequently charged him with driving under the influence, property damage, and refusal to submit to a lawful test.
Following the crash, Woods sought professional help in Zurich, Switzerland. He briefly returned to Florida after his girlfriend, Vanessa Trump, revealed her breast cancer diagnosis, before completing his treatment. Last week, Woods made a surprise appearance at a PGA press conference in Connecticut, where he introduced CEO Brian Rolapp. He has largely remained out of the public eye since his arrest.
Prior to the crash, Woods was reportedly nearing a return to professional golf and was widely expected to compete at The Masters. He has not competed since the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon in Scotland and has undergone surgery for a torn Achilles tendon and a seventh back procedure.
The current legal proceedings mark the fourth time Woods has faced charges related to driving under the influence. He was previously arrested for a DUI in 2017 in Florida, with police finding him slumped in his car with multiple drugs in his system, including painkillers. In 2021, Woods was involved in a severe crash in California that shattered his right leg, requiring multiple surgeries and leading to ongoing issues with plantar fasciitis. In November 2009, he crashed into a fire hydrant while attempting to flee his Florida home amid reports of his then-wife Elin Nordegren discovering his extramarital affairs.