Tiger says he's getting 'professional help'

MIAMI -- Tiger Woods, arrested three weeks ago for impaired driving, said Monday he is receiving "professional help" to manage his medications and help cope with back pain and a sleep disorder.

Woods, a 14-time major golf champion who has not won a PGA Tour title since 2013, was arrested May 29 when police in Jupiter, Florida, found him asleep at the wheel of his car on a road.

A police report uncovered by The Golf Channel said Woods told authorities he had not been drinking but had a reaction to several prescription drugs, including Xanax, which can be used to treat insomnia.

Woods, 41, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, although he did not show any sign of alcohol in a breathalyzer test.

 
His arraignment on those charges has been set for August 9.

In his first comments since the release of police video footage showing him struggling to pass a sobriety test, Woods said he has sought aid in fighting medicating issues.

"I'm currently receiving professional help to manage my medications and the ways that I deal with back pain and a sleep disorder," Woods wrote in a posting on Twitter.

"I want to thank everyone for the amazing outpouring of support and understanding, especially the fans and players on tour."

Leigh Steinberg, Woods's agent, told ESPN that Woods was undergoing "in-patient treatment."

Last month, Woods announced he had undergone a fourth back surgery that would cause him to miss the rest of the season, ending a comeback that began last December but lasted only three tournaments.

Woods, who last won a major title at the 2008 US Open, has won 79 career PGA titles, three shy of Sam Snead's all-time record.

Next week's PGA event in suburban Washington is operated by Woods's charity foundation, with Woods often serving as host.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Johnson keeps mojo going to share first-round lead

Top seed Dustin Johnson continued his "good mojo" to earn a tie for the first-round lead with Kevin Chappell and Hideki Matsuyama at the Tour Championship in Atlanta on Thursday.

The power-hitting U.S. Open champion continued to make a fickle game look easy, compiling five birdies in a seemingly-effortless four-under-par 66 in ideal conditions at East Lake.

"I felt like I had good mojo going all day and swung it very nicely," Johnson told Golf Channel. "I hit a lot of great shots with the irons and drove it nicely. That puts together a good score."

Johnson, fellow American Chappell and Japan's Matsuyama headed Australian world number one Jason Day, South Korean Kim Si-woo and American Kevin Kisner by one stroke in the elite 30-man field.

Day continued to feel occasional twinges of the back pain that forced him to pull out of the previous playoff event, the BMW Championship, after three rounds.

The season-ending Championship is the only event on tour that hands out two trophies -- one to the tournament winner and another to the winner of the season-long FedExCup points race.

The FedExCup champion will receive $10 million and Johnson, a three-time winner this season, is in pole position. He will win the FedExCup if he also wins the tournament, as would the next four seeds -- Patrick Reed, Day, Adam Scott and Paul Casey.

Casey made a 30-foot eagle putt at the par-five 18th for two-under 68, while Scott finished poorly with two late bogeys for a 69 and Reed struggled to a 73.

Johnson hit a couple of wayward drives, but was otherwise a model of consistency.

His sole bogey came at the par-four 13th, his drive there ending up behind a pine cone from where he could advance the ball only 30 yards.

Four holes later, Johnson's drive almost struck Sky Sports on-course reporter Wayne Riley, a former professional who took his on-course role a little too literally by wandering down the fairway instead of staying in the rough.

Johnson's drive landed within a couple of paces of a surprised Riley, who came in for some light-hearted ribbing by his fellow commentators.

Joint leader Matsuyama, meanwhile, made a nice start on the more difficult front nine and picked up two more shots on the inward half.

"I was a little bit lucky on that front nine but got into a good rhythm," said the world number 18. "I putted well today and that's what made the difference." (Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com