- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,130,939
- Reaction score
- 59
Follow along for live coverage from the first round of the Masters.
The most outspoken of the honorary starters at the 2026 Masters doesn't blame Tiger Woods for taking medication for pain management and sleep deprivation. But Gary Player believes there's an easy solution to Woods' problems.
"All you got to do is don't drive a car and get a chauffeur," the 90-year-old South African said at a news conference on April 9 after hitting a ceremonial first tee shot with fellow golf legends Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson to officially begin the 90th edition of The Masters.
Player had been asked to offer advice to Woods following his recent DUI arrest, and the three-time Masters winner initially expressed empathy for what Woods endured in recent years due to the injuries and surgeries on his legs and back.
2026 Masters leaderboard: Follow for live updates of ever round of the tournament
But Player said emphatically it's time for Woods to give up driving if he continues to take prescription medicine to alleviate the aftereffects of those ailments.
OPINION: Root for Tiger Woods, even though he’s not playing the Masters
"Do I blame him for taking medicine? Hell no," Player said. "He has sleep deprivation. Do I blame him for taking something to help him sleep? No. But I don't think he should drive a car. When you're taking that medicine, it's dangerous when you're driving a car. Same as it's dangerous when you look at your cell phone in the car."
Woods, 50, was attempting to play at the 2026 Masters this week, but those plans were thrown into disarray after another car crash near his home in Jupiter Island, Florida.
An arrest affidavit revealed that officers found two hydrocodone pills in Woods' pocket after the crash, and Woods announced he would "seek treatment and focus on my health." Florida prosecutors said in a state court filing on April 7 they want to issue a subpoena seeking copies of “any and all prescription medication on file” for Woods as part of its case.
Woods was reported to have been driving fast on a residential street on Jupiter Island near his home on March 27 when he clipped the back of a pressure-washing trailer being towed by a truck. His SUV rolled on its side and skidded down the street, and Woods climbed out of the skyward-facing passenger window.
Woods pleaded not guilty to DUI with property damage. He blew a 0.00 on two alcohol breath tests but declined to submit to a urinalysis, which triggered a relatively new Florida law under which drivers who refuse a breath or urine test face a second-degree misdemeanor charge, an automatic one-year driver’s license suspension and up to 60 days in jail.
If it were up to Player, Woods would consider making this the last time he gets behind the wheel.
"I mean my reflexes I think are as good as when I was 20, but I don't drive anymore. I get a chauffeur and I think that's the answer to it," Player said. "But my heart goes out to him. There's nothing worse than living in pain every day of your life. You can't think of anything worse. I just hope he can get it all sorted out because he's such an asset to golf and has done so much for the game."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gary Player on Tiger Woods' DUI and medication
Continue reading...
The most outspoken of the honorary starters at the 2026 Masters doesn't blame Tiger Woods for taking medication for pain management and sleep deprivation. But Gary Player believes there's an easy solution to Woods' problems.
"All you got to do is don't drive a car and get a chauffeur," the 90-year-old South African said at a news conference on April 9 after hitting a ceremonial first tee shot with fellow golf legends Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson to officially begin the 90th edition of The Masters.
Player had been asked to offer advice to Woods following his recent DUI arrest, and the three-time Masters winner initially expressed empathy for what Woods endured in recent years due to the injuries and surgeries on his legs and back.
2026 Masters leaderboard: Follow for live updates of ever round of the tournament
But Player said emphatically it's time for Woods to give up driving if he continues to take prescription medicine to alleviate the aftereffects of those ailments.
OPINION: Root for Tiger Woods, even though he’s not playing the Masters
"Do I blame him for taking medicine? Hell no," Player said. "He has sleep deprivation. Do I blame him for taking something to help him sleep? No. But I don't think he should drive a car. When you're taking that medicine, it's dangerous when you're driving a car. Same as it's dangerous when you look at your cell phone in the car."
Woods, 50, was attempting to play at the 2026 Masters this week, but those plans were thrown into disarray after another car crash near his home in Jupiter Island, Florida.
An arrest affidavit revealed that officers found two hydrocodone pills in Woods' pocket after the crash, and Woods announced he would "seek treatment and focus on my health." Florida prosecutors said in a state court filing on April 7 they want to issue a subpoena seeking copies of “any and all prescription medication on file” for Woods as part of its case.
Woods was reported to have been driving fast on a residential street on Jupiter Island near his home on March 27 when he clipped the back of a pressure-washing trailer being towed by a truck. His SUV rolled on its side and skidded down the street, and Woods climbed out of the skyward-facing passenger window.
Woods pleaded not guilty to DUI with property damage. He blew a 0.00 on two alcohol breath tests but declined to submit to a urinalysis, which triggered a relatively new Florida law under which drivers who refuse a breath or urine test face a second-degree misdemeanor charge, an automatic one-year driver’s license suspension and up to 60 days in jail.
If it were up to Player, Woods would consider making this the last time he gets behind the wheel.
"I mean my reflexes I think are as good as when I was 20, but I don't drive anymore. I get a chauffeur and I think that's the answer to it," Player said. "But my heart goes out to him. There's nothing worse than living in pain every day of your life. You can't think of anything worse. I just hope he can get it all sorted out because he's such an asset to golf and has done so much for the game."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gary Player on Tiger Woods' DUI and medication
Continue reading...
