Tiger Woods had five drugs in his system following his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI), a toxicology report has revealed.
Former world number one golf champion Woods returned to the headlines for all the wrong reasons in June when footage emerged of his arrest after being found asleep at the wheel of his car on a Jupiter, Florida, freeway. The video footage of his arrest was viewed by millions.
Woods was initially thought to be have been arrested for drink driving, but later revealed he had blown zero on a breathalyzer test. Woods blamed taking regular medication incorrectly.
The 14-time major winner immediately announced he would be seeking professional and medical assistance to get his medication use back on track, and has since been on a program to manage them better.
A toxicology report carried out on a urine test following his arrest has revealed that Woods had five drugs in his system. The drugs found included Vicodin, a generic painkiller, Dilaudid, a strong painkiller, Xanax, a sleeping pill and anxiety drug, Ambien, another sleeping drug, and Tetrahydrocannabinol—or THC—a psychotropic cannabinoid found in cannabis.
The toxicology report was released by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. There is no longer a criminal process being carried out after Woods pleaded guilty to reckless driving. He agreed to complete a diversion program on the understanding that his record would be wiped clean afterwards.
It is unknown whether Woods was taking medical marijuana—which is legal in the state of Florida—although Woods had released a statement on Monday reacting to the toxicology report:
“As I previously said, I received professional help to manage my medications,” Woods said. “Recently, I had been trying on my own to treat my back pain and a sleep disorder, including insomnia, but I realise 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.”
Woods’ fall from grace has been a sorry story. From a man who was once unbeatable and feared by rivals, to the image of a dishevelled former golfer who had been found to have five drugs in his system after his arrest, Woods’ career has well and truly down-spiralled.
Four back surgeries—the most recent of which was in January—have seen Woods on and off the course for the last four years. But his most recent attempt at a comeback ended prematurely when he pulled out of an event in Dubai in February this year.
The 79-time PGA Tour winner had only made a return to the game competitively in December 2016, promising his body had never felt as good in years.
The last of Woods’ 14 majors—a figure just four short of Jack Nicklaus’ all-time record—came more than nine years ago in the 2008 US Open.
He won only 14 more tournaments since that US Open success. It has been around four years since we last saw Woods lift a trophy after having won the WGC Bridgestone Invitational in 2013.