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
MIAMI -- Tiger Woods was found asleep at the wheel of his car when he was arrested, police records showed Tuesday as golf legend Jack Nicklaus pledged support for the troubled former world number one.
Woods, who issued a statement on Monday saying alcohol was not involved in the incident, needed to be woken by a police officer, his arrest report showed.
The 14-time major winner has blamed the DUI arrest near his home in Jupiter, Florida on an adverse reaction to prescription medication.
His police report, obtained and published by several media outlets, said Woods was "co-operative" and "confused" when found by police, with "extremely slow and slurred speech."
He initially told officers he had been driving back to Florida from Los Angeles but later stated "he did not know where he was."
The golfer was unable to complete various roadside sobriety tests which included standing on one leg and the "walk and turn" test.
However contrary to reports on Monday which said Woods refused a breathalyzer test, the golfer agreed and "blew zeroes" indicating there was no alcohol in his system.
Woods also told police he had been using four prescription medications including the powerful painkiller Vicodin, which is commonly prescribed following surgery.
Woods has undergone four separate surgeries on his back since 2014, with the most recent procedure taking place in late April.
News of the 41-year-old's arrest has triggered alarm throughout the golfing world. On Tuesday, Nicklaus offered words of support for Woods.
"Tiger's a friend," Nicklaus told the Golf Channel. "He's been great for the game of golf. He needs our help.
"I feel bad for him. He's struggling ... He needs support from a lot of people. I'll be one of them."
A police mugshot of Woods looking bleary-eyed and unshaven rapidly went viral after its release on Monday, underscoring the fall from grace of the superstar athlete once renowned as a clean-living, corporate pitchman.
"I would like to apologize with all my heart to my family, friends and the fans. I expect more from myself too," Woods said in a statement issued late Monday.
'He needs our help'
The arrest is the latest gloomy episode to hit the athlete, who once towered over his sport before being engulfed by turmoil in his private life and a series of debilitating injuries.
His return from a year-long injury layoff was cut short in February when he pulled out of the Dubai Desert Classic after the first round because of back pain.
News of Woods' arrest was pored over in detail by US media on Tuesday, with many commentators unable to resist comparing the golfer's dishevelled mugshot with images of the fresh-faced superstar in his heyday.
"What happened to the young man we all thought we knew...Where has he gone?" asked USA Today columnist Christine Brennan, contrasting the mugshot with an image of Woods from one of his most famous victories, winning the Masters in 1997 at the age of 21.
"What a stunning contrast these two photos are, taken 20 years and seven weeks apart," Brennan added. "They chart the rise and fall of a man who had it all, then watched it crumble away, all of it self-induced."
ESPN writer Jason Sobel commented that the mugshot "offers tangible representation" of Woods' decline in fortunes.
"It offers visual proof of the news, of another public embarrassment," Sobel wrote.
"There is no positive way to spin this story. No silver lining, no beneficial after-effects that might spring from it -- the main takeaway here is sadness. Just pure sadness."
source: news.abs-cbn.com
