Tiger Woods is back in the rough. How a dependence on painkillers took down a golf great - BERITAJA

Reaction to Tiger Woods’ car clang and driving nether the power apprehension past period ranged from sadness to dismay to exasperation. Few observers, however, expressed surprise.

Although wide recognized arsenic possibly the top golfer of each time, Woods, 50, has been successful a downward spiral personally and professionally for years.

His struggles pinch medicine narcotics became nationalist successful 2017 erstwhile constabulary recovered him dormant astatine the instrumentality of his car pinch the motor moving adjacent his Jupiter, Fla., home. Multiple painkillers, slumber immunodeficiency and THC were detected successful his system. Woods checked into rehab soon aft that incident, saying his efforts to negociate insomnia and symptom from his staggering number of surgeries connected his ain was a mistake.

Now, though, he’s again successful rehab, apt successful Switzerland aft his private pitchy landed successful Zurich connected Friday, according to reports. The latest clang is the 4th awesome incident involving Woods down the instrumentality since 2009.

“I consciousness bad for Tiger,” chap play awesome Jack Nicklaus told the Palm Beach Post. “He’s been taking painkillers for a agelong clip and I don’t cognize really overmuch symptom he’s in. But I don’t deliberation he’d beryllium taking them if he didn’t request them.”

Woods’ current pivot to recovery follows a barrage of headlines about his rollover clang and unfocused, hiccups-laden aftermath captured connected constabulary officers’ body cameras that included a phone telephone to President Trump, grounded section sobriety tests, handcuffs and a thrust to jailhouse successful the backmost spot of a squad car.

A conveyance rests connected its broadside aft a rollover mishap involving golfer Tiger Woods on a roadworthy successful Rancho Palos Verdes connected Feb. 23, 2021. Woods suffered limb injuries that required surgery.

(Ringo H.W. Chiu / Associated Press)

The section besides provides an opportunity to bespeak connected Woods’ meteoric rise, sustained excellence and precipitous diminution connected the play course, his scandal-plagued individual life and what the early mightiness hold.

What does this latest section opportunity about Tiger Woods and wherever does he goes from here?

Prodigy to supremacy

Born Eldrick Tont Woods connected Dec. 30, 1975, Tiger was fixed his nickname by his father, Earl, a U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and Green Beret who served successful Vietnam. Earl’s combat partner was nicknamed Tiger and it was passed along.

Earl was deployed successful the 1960s to the aforesaid guidelines successful Thailand wherever Kultida Punsawad worked arsenic a secretary. They joined and settled successful the Orange County municipality of Cypress aft the war. Tiger was their only child.

“When Tiger was 10 months old, I unstrapped him retired of his precocious chair and he walked complete and deed the ball,” Earl recalled connected an HBO documentary about his son. “I said, ‘Oh my God, I’ve sewage thing special.’ ”

Amateur Tiger Woods, right, talks pinch his father, Earl Woods, aft believe for the Masters play tourney astatine the Augusta National Golf Club successful the 1990s.

(Amy Sancetta / Associated Press)

That soon became apparent to everyone. At property 5, Woods showed his golfing prowess connected the tv show “That’s Incredible.” At 6, he played a televised two-hole accumulation astatine Calabasas Country Club pinch legendary golfer Sam Snead, whose grounds of 82 PGA Tour victories would beryllium equaled by Woods about 40 years later.

Life wasn’t each manicured greens. The only achromatic kid successful his kindergarten class, he was tied to a character by sixth graders, The Times’ Bill Plaschke reported. Woods played successful his first nationalist inferior tourney astatine 13 successful Texarkana, Ark., and a section newsman accused him of participating only because he wanted to merge the section state club.

His excellence yet stifled racism and quieted critics. As a precocious schoolhouse sophomore successful 1992, Woods became the youngest golfer to play successful a PGA Tour event, shooting a one-over-par 72 astatine Riviera Country Club successful Los Angeles.

He first wounded his backmost during that historical round, pulling a musculus while hitting retired of heavy rough. Afterward he remained connected tract for treatment, foreshadowing what would beryllium a career-threatening conflict pinch backmost injuries that includes 7 surgeries since 2014 — respective microdiscectomies, a 2017 lumbar fusion and about precocious a lumbar disc replacement performed successful October 2025.

“Tiger Woods’ acquisition pinch spinal illness highlights a existent and under-recognized rumor among modern-era golfers,” said Dr. Corey Walker of the Barrow Neurological Institute. “Tiger’s usage of the mechanics of the modern-day plaything places a tremendous strain connected the back.”

The high-torque plaything emphasizes maximum rotation of Woods’ shoulders comparative to his hips. It’s reliable connected his spine but besides results successful agelong drives and debased scores.

Bothersome backs are communal among golfers. Scotland-based osteopath Gavin Routledge, who has teamed pinch renowned play coach Gary Nicol successful processing a curen programme for spinal injuries, views Woods’ aesculapian history arsenic peculiarly telling.

“I honestly can’t spot a measurement retired for him,” Routledge told Golfweek. “We person known for decades that erstwhile you person 1 disc surgery, the chances of having different are substantially higher, particularly if you usage the fusion method for illustration Tiger. It’s a domino effect.”

Woods had nary specified worries successful the mid-1990s. Amid winning 3 consecutive U.S. Amateur titles, he attended Stanford but near successful 1996 aft 2 years and turned pro astatine 20, smiling and saying “Hello, world” astatine his introductory news conference.

By 2000, he became the youngest golfer to complete the profession Grand Slam of winning the Tour’s 4 fields and only the 5th ever to do so, pursuing Ben Hogan, Gene Sarazen, Gary Player, and Nicklaus.

His power accelerated quickly, and about each twelvemonth from 1997 to 2013 he won astatine slightest 4 and arsenic galore arsenic 9 tourney championships. He had his first backmost room successful 2014 and the victories ceased until he shocked the sports world successful 2019 by winning the Masters — the tourney considered the pinnacle of play — for the 5th time, but the first successful 14 years.

Tiger Woods and caddie Steve Williams watch Woods’ spot changeable teeter astatine the separator of the cup earlier dropping successful the 16th spread during the last information of the 2005 Masters tournament.

(Al Tielemans / Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

“It’s overwhelming, conscionable because of what has transpired,” Woods said. “It’s unreal to acquisition this.”

A fewer months later he won the inaugural PGA Tour arena successful Japan to necktie Snead’s grounds of 82 profession titles, hoisting the trophy 23 years to the time of his first Tour title astatine the 1996 Las Vegas Invitational. It was his past victory.

Comeback attempts person been infrequent and unsuccessful, measured against the standards he group for decades. All the while, his injuries mounted and individual life deteriorated.

Losing his grip

Even pinch his profession astatine its pinnacle and earlier his backmost became chronically balky, Woods recovered his measurement onto tabloid headlines. It each started pinch his first nationalist car accident.

Woods collapsed his Cadillac Escalade into a occurrence hydrant extracurricular his location successful Isleworth, Fla., astatine 2:30 a.m. Nov. 27, 2009. He was treated astatine a infirmary pinch insignificant injuries and the incident turned retired to beryllium the culmination of a whirlwind of missteps that revealed Woods having affairs pinch respective women extracurricular of his matrimony to Swedish exemplary Elin Nordegren, the mother of his 2 children.

Additional reporting identified Woods arsenic a regular astatine the Mansion, a nine for precocious rollers astatine the MGM Grand casino successful Las Vegas, wherever he had a $1 cardinal betting limit and played blackjack astatine $25,000 a manus pinch NBA superstars Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley.

Woods admitted successful 2010 that he had a activity addiction and spent 45 days astatine an inpatient programme successful Hattiesburg, Miss. He and Nordegren divorced.

The turmoil took a toll connected Woods’ play crippled for 2 years, but he rebounded, winning 3 tournaments successful 2012 and 5 successful 2013. It wasn’t until his first backmost room successful 2014 that his profession plummeted for good.

Research indicates that retirees who specify themselves chiefly done their careers are susceptible to prolonged distress. Few person had a master life truthful intelligibly defined and wildly successful arsenic Woods.

Tiger Woods hits from the fairway astatine the Riviera Country Club during the 2nd information of the Genesis Invitational connected Friday, Feb. 16, 2024 successful Pacific Palisades.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

While not officially retired — he planned to play successful this week’s Masters until his rollover clang and apprehension — his past PGA Tour arena was the Open Championship successful Scotland successful July 2024.

His about formidable obstacles to different comeback mightiness beryllium physical. Woods walks pinch a limp aft suffering extended harm to his correct limb and ankle from a near-fatal single-car clang successful Rancho Palos Verdes successful 2021. And his about superior backmost room took spot only six months ago.

Woods’ much contiguous interest seems to beryllium kicking his usage of addictive opioid painkillers. A judge successful Martin County, Fla., granted his petition to activity curen extracurricular the U.S. He besides turned down the domiciled of United States Ryder Cup skipper successful 2027.

“I cognize and understand the seriousness of the business I find myself successful today,” Woods said successful a statement. “I americium stepping distant for a play of clip to activity curen and attraction connected my health. This is basal successful bid for maine to prioritize my well-being and activity toward lasting recovery.

“I’m committed to taking the clip needed to return to a healthier, stronger, and much focused place, some personally and professionally. I admit your knowing and support, and inquire for privateness for my family, loved ones and myself astatine this time.”

What now?

Woods will proceed to make a sizable effect connected play moreover if he ne'er sets different shot connected a tee.

He serves arsenic Founder and CEO of TGR, a multibrand endeavor that includes a charitable foundation, a play people creation company, an events accumulation institution and an upscale restaurant, among different holdings.

His $120 cardinal net from PGA Tour purses pales successful comparison to what he has made successful endorsements — an estimated $2 billion, about notably from Nike.

His immense fame lined the pockets of about everyone associated pinch the PGA Tour. TV ratings skyrocketed, tourney purses spiked and he single-handedly expanded golf’s demographic appeal.

The Masters is taking spot this week successful Augusta, Ga. Woods, who has donned the famed greenish overgarment fixed the champion 5 times, is connected the minds of galore of the golfers.

Tiger Woods celebrates aft sinking his putt connected the 18th greenish to triumph the Masters astatine Augusta National Golf Club connected April 14, 2019.

(Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)

“He was my leader increasing up,” said Jason Day, a seasoned pro golfer and adjacent friend of Woods. “It must beryllium difficult to beryllium who he is and person everyone benignant of down connected him.”

Later, Day added this: “The only point I don’t understand is that it’s a spot selfish of him to thrust and put different group successful harm’s measurement arsenic well. But erstwhile you’re the subordinate he was and really strong-willed he is — he thinks he could do almost thing — and that’s about apt why he’s driving and a small spot nether the influence.”

Woods has besides been connected the mind of Nicklaus, astatine 86 the only surviving golfer who enjoyed thing adjacent to the occurrence of Woods.

“Sometimes you get excessively acold down the statement and conscionable request personification to thief you,” he said. “I deliberation Tiger about apt needs immoderate help. We each want to thief him. We are each connected his side.”