Woods to 'step away and seek treatment' after crash
Tiger Woods says he is "stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health" following an arrest after a car crash.
Will crash shake golf from its dependency on Woods? The PGA Tour also issued its first comment on Woods following the golfer's statement. "Tiger Woods is a legend of our sport whose impact extends far beyond his achievements on the course," it said.
"But above all else, Tiger is a person, and our focus is on his health and well‑being. Tiger continues to have our full support as he takes this important step. " The golf body's CEO, Brian Rolapp, added: "Tiger Woods is one of the most influential figures the sports world has ever known.
"Over the last year, I have come to deeply appreciate Tiger not only for his impact on the game, but for his friendship and the perspective he has shared with me as I joined the golf industry. "My thoughts are with him and his family as he takes this step, for which he has my full respect and support. " Last week's accident was the latest in a string of incidents that have littered Woods' recent years.
His marriage ended - as did lucrative sponsorship deals - after he struck a fire hydrant, a tree and several hedges outside his home in a 2009 incident which sparked accusations of extramarital affairs. Then in 2017 he was sentenced to a year's probation after pleading guilty to reckless driving. That came after police officers found Woods slumped at the wheel of his car near his home.