Tiger Woods is scheduled to appear in a Florida court Wednesday for a hearing that could involve a plea change in his driving under the influence case. The hearing stems from a rollover crash that occurred in March on Jupiter Island, Florida, over five months prior.
Authorities found Woods in Martin County following the crash. According to an arrest affidavit, Woods did not pass a field sobriety test and had prescription painkillers in his possession. He was booked into the Martin County jail on March 27. Woods initially entered not guilty pleas to misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence and refusing to submit to testing. He also received a citation for careless driving.
Court records indicate that Woods was scheduled to make an appearance on Sept. 8, but a notice filed Tuesday moved the date to Wednesday morning. The plea conference is set to begin at 8:30 a.m. at the Martin County Courthouse. It remains unclear whether Woods intends to change his plea or if his legal team has reached an agreement with prosecutors. Woods' legal team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In the wake of the crash, Woods announced he would take time away from the public eye to focus on personal recovery treatment options. He previously sustained serious injuries in a February 2021 single-vehicle crash outside Los Angeles, where his SUV rolled, trapping him inside. Emergency surgery addressed "open fractures" in his lower right leg, requiring a rod in his tibia and screws and pins in his foot and ankle.
Despite his absence from competition, Woods has remained engaged with the sport. On Sunday, he congratulated Scottie Scheffler on social media after Scheffler won the Tour Championship, secured his second FedEx Cup title, and surpassed Woods on the PGA Tour's career earnings list. Woods posted, "Three wins, five runner-ups and finishing the season No. 1. Those are some numbers to be proud of. Incredible consistency all season long. Congrats on a historic season, Scottie."