Tiger Woods made a surprise and brief public appearance in Connecticut on Tuesday at a PGA Tour press conference announcing a dramatic shakeup of America’s golf cicruit.
Woods, 50, has not spoken out publicly since his arrest for DUI near his Jupiter Island home in late March. Shortly after that dayt of drama, he headed to Switzerland for a stint in rehab to help him manage prescription painkillers.
But on Tuesday morning, it was back to the business of golf for Woods, who smiled broadly before introducing the PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp with a short statement. Rolapp was announcing a bold expansion of the PGA Tour, moving it into a two-tier system from 2028.
When Rolapp took to the stage, he shook hands with Woods and said: ‘Thank you, Tiger. I think I speak for all of us when I say I am glad to see you back.’
Woods, who has worked hard behind the scenes in the last year to help shape the future of the PGA Tour, spoke for a little over a minute and did not take any questions, leaving the stage shortly after greeting Rolapp.
‘Good morning,’ Woods said with a big smile as stepped up to the podium to speak.
Tiger Woods made a surprise public appearance at a PGA Tour event on Tuesday morning
It came almost three months on from his arrest in Florida for DUI after rolling his car
‘Everyone over the past eight months on the Future Competitions Comittee has spent a lot of time on a very important, fundamental question: How do we build the strongest possible version of the PGA Tour?
‘This work was never about any one player or person. It was about bringing together different perspectives, having honest, hard conversations and thinking boldly about what is best for the game that we all love.
‘It has been a privilege to work with all of the committee members. I am proud of the work we have done and grateful for everyone who has contributed along the way.’
He continued: ‘We have to look forward and beyond today, over the horizon and set up the PGA Tour, and our sport, for a future generation of players and fans. And with that, I’d like to introduce the CEO of the PGA Tour, Brian Rolapp.’
Woods’s time abroad to focus on recovery was briefly interrupted by his girlfriend Vanessa Trump being diagnosed with breast cancer. She is currently undergoing treatment.
Woods was closing in on a return to golf and was widely expected to compete at The Masters in the days before he was arrested.
He hasn’t competed since the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon in Scotland but last year had surgery to repair a torn Achilles as well as a seventh back procedure.
After rolling his car that day in Florida, police found two hydrocodone pills on the golfer – a powerful painkiller. Officers also said that Woods had ‘bloodshot and glassy eyes’ as well as ‘extremely dialated pupils’.
Woods was charged with DUI, property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test in March
Woods was in rehab in Switzerland when Vanessa Trump received her breast cancer diagnosis
Police video footage also emerged of the incident, showing Woods waiting with police to learn his fate and having his sobriety tested.
At one stage, he wandered away to take a phone call before telling officers he was talking to President Trump when he was beckoned back over to them.
The latest saga is the fourth time he has been in trouble after being behind the wheel of a car.
He was arrested for another DUI in 2017 after police found him slumped in his car in Florida with five drugs in his system, including two painkillers.
Woods was later involved in a similar crash in 2021 in California, which shattered his right leg after he was trapped under the vehicle. He needed multiple surgeries in order to recover from his injuries and has struggled with the troubling heel issue plantar fasciitis ever since.
He also crashed into a fire hydrant in November 2009 as he tried to flee his Florida home after wife Elin Nordegren discovered he had been having an affair.
Woods was expected by many to return to golf at The Masters before his arrest ruined plans
It sparked an unravelling of his reputation that he has never truly recovered from.
Woods hasn’t spoken publicly about his March arrest outside of a brief statement underlining his plans to get professional help.
‘I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in today,’ Woods wrote.
‘I am stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health. This is necessary in order for me to prioritize my well-being and work toward lasting recovery.
‘I’m committed to taking the time needed to return in a healthier, stronger, and more focused place, both personally and professionally. I appreciate your understanding and support, and ask for privacy for my family, loved ones and myself at this time.’
Woods also withdrew himself from the running to be USA Ryder Cup captain next year in Ireland in the days after his arrest – many had expected him to take the job before the latest scandal hit.
