Tiger's Troubles

Tiger Woods ‘Was on Vicodin and Xanax’ When Cops Stopped Him

Tiger Woods assured the public alcohol was not involved in his Memorial Day DUI. It now appears Vicodin and Xanax were.

When golfer Tiger Woods was arrested by Florida police after being found asleep at the wheel of his damaged Mercedes at 2 a.m. on Memorial Day, he was quick to issue a statement assuring the public that “alcohol was not involved.”

Woods, who is reportedly now checking into rehab as part of a strategy to retain custody of his kids, instead blamed “an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications,” saying he did not realize “the mix of medications had affected me so strongly.”

It now appears that the meds involved were Xanax and Vicodin, according to a report in the Palm Beach Post.

Xanax is often prescribed to reduce anxiety.

Vicodin is commonly prescribed as a powerful painkiller—and Woods had undergone surgery for a long-standing back injury the week before the incident, which saw him held by Palm Beach County Police for several hours before being released on his own recognizance, meaning he did not have to post bail.

However Woods’ use of Vicodin is likely to raise concerns as when he checked into rehab in Arizona in 2010 it was reportedly to confront an addiction to Vicodin and Ambien.

Indeed, Woods is now said to be so concerned about possibly losing joint custody of his two kids that he is reportedly going back into rehab.

A new report alleges that he recently reserved the entire male inpatient unit of the Jupiter Medical Center near his Florida home.

“Tiger visited the hospital with his children on June 2, then went alone two days later to complete paperwork and his assessment,” a source told the gossip website Radar Online.

When the police report of the latest arrest was first made public, Woods’ answer, when asked if he had taken any medication, was blacked out. But a newly released version, which does not feature the redactions, reveals in both cases he said, “Xanax,” the Palm Beach Post reports.

In dashboard footage released by the local Jupiter police, Woods is clearly unsteady on his feet, attempts to tie his shoes—including one shoe that is already tied—several times and apparently doesn’t know where he is at times.

Later, in a video released by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, just before taking a breathalyzer test at the Palm Beach County Jail, Woods appears to slur his words and mumbles as he struggles to maintain his balance.

The alleged DUI is just the latest of Tiger’s woes.

After a meteoric rise to fame, as one of the world’s most charismatic and richly rewarded young golfers, Woods suffered a very public fall from grace in 2009 after a sex scandal cost him his marriage to Elin Nordegren.

The trauma affected his game and his golfing career never returned to its former glories.

Woods—who dated Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn after his divorce from Nordegren—won 14 major championships between 1997 and 2008. He hasn’t won any since.

Woods is scheduled for an arraignment hearing July 5 and faces charges of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and improper stopping, standing or parking in an illegal place, according to Palm Beach County court records.

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Tom SykesEuropean Editor at Large

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