Tiger Woods’ life seems to have been nothing but lows and disappointments, since that Thanksgiving night in 2009 when he backed his SUV into a fire hydrant.. and straight on into a failed marriage. Now, a DUI. It’s a new low for the greatest golfer of his generation.. but is it the end? Physically, he’ll recover from this but emotionally is a different story.
The Details of Tiger's Memorial Day Demise
Around 3 am the morning of Memorial Day (why do these traffic problems happen on holidays with him?), Tiger Woods was arrested and charged with DUI in Jupiter, Florida, where he owns a home and a restaurant. His mug shot went viral, a classic post-arrest photo with those tired, half-shut eyes and scraggly beard.
Now, the facts are starting to appear. A day later, Tiger apologized and accepted full responsibility for what he did. He denied any use of alcohol and said his altered state was the result of a reaction to a mix of prescribed medications. Vicodin was one of those meds. He had undergone back surgery in April. The Jupiter Police released the accident report, and it backed up Woods’ contention that he wasn’t drinking. He took a breathalyzer and he passed it… it registered .00. What it did say was he was sleeping, when police found him behind the wheel of his Mercedes on the side of the road in Jupiter.
What does this mean for Tiger Woods? For other superstar athletes and celebrities, it means headlines, countless internet theories, embarrassment, but eventually a return to their careers.. if it doesn’t happen again.
But as one former law enforcement officer told me, “He has more problems than alcohol”.. and that was before Woods said it was a problem with prescribed meds.
The obvious question now is, is he addicted to painkillers? We don’t know for sure, but it’s possible. It’s happened to a lot of other professional athletes, as their bodies break down with age. Woods has undergone 7 surgeries in his professional career, 3 on his left knee and 4 on his back.. the back surgeries have all been in the last 3 years. All those operations can easily lead to using painkillers.. and maybe an addiction.
For a guy who had so much going for him in his 20’s… fame, fortune, a beautiful family, professional success… Wood's has experienced a decline in his 30’s and early 40’s.
Tiger Woods has a lot of life left ahead of him. It’s so sad to see him in a downward spiral right now. Our thoughts and hopes are for him to get back to doing what he does best, and to get on the links one day soon.
Read more from local sports writer Dave Wirth, and check out the 813area Sports Page.
Cover photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of 813area.com and MyArea Network.
