A new booking photo and bodycam footage from Tiger Woods’ March 27 DUI arrest in Jupiter Island, Florida, reveal details that make a difficult story harder to ignore
A second mugshot of Tiger Woods has been released by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, offering a starker image than the one that circulated immediately after his arrest. Woods, 50, is photographed in what appears to be a blue inmate uniform top, a change from the button-up shirt he was wearing when his Land Rover rolled over in Jupiter Island, Florida, on March 27. The booking sheet was obtained by People on April 3.
The new photo shows Woods frowning. It is a harder image than the first, and it lands at a moment when the details surrounding the arrest have only grown more serious.
What happened on March 27
According to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, Woods allegedly struck the back of a truck pulling a trailer in Jupiter Island. The impact caused his vehicle to roll over. A deputy who responded to the scene noted several signs of impairment during an evaluation of Woods, including bloodshot and glassy eyes and pupils described in the probable cause affidavit as extremely dilated.
During the scene investigation, officers allegedly found two hydrocodone pills in Woods’ left pants pocket. He was transported to Martin County jail following the crash and later released after posting bond.
He now faces three charges. The first is DUI with property damage. The second is refusal to submit to a lawful urine test. The third is careless driving.
Woods and the bodycam footage
Bodycam footage released on April 2 and also obtained by People shows Woods performing standard field sobriety tests at the scene. At the conclusion of those tests, the officer conducting the evaluation tells Woods she believes his normal faculties are impaired. The footage is direct and leaves little room for interpretation. It shows a man who built one of the most controlled public images in the history of professional sports in a position that is the opposite of controlled.
The weight of this moment for Woods
Woods turned 50 last December. He has spent the better part of the last decade managing the physical fallout from a devastating 2021 car crash in Los Angeles that left him with severe leg injuries and required multiple surgeries. His return to competitive golf after that accident was treated as one of the more remarkable stories in the sport. He played the Masters last year and made the cut, which by any reasonable measure was an achievement.
This arrest arrives in a different register entirely. The charges are serious, the evidence described in the affidavit is specific, and the bodycam footage is now public. Whatever comes next legally, the version of this story that exists in documents and video is already fixed.
What the Woods arrest reveals about a longer arc
This is not the first time Woods has faced a DUI-related incident. In 2017, he was found asleep at the wheel of his car in Palm Beach County, Florida, and was arrested on a DUI charge. He later entered a diversion program after the toxicology report showed no alcohol in his system but detected multiple prescription medications. He spoke publicly about struggling with pain medication following back surgery.
The hydrocodone found in his pocket during the March 27 arrest, if the affidavit details hold up, points to a struggle that has not resolved itself. Woods has not made a public statement about the incident as of the date this booking sheet was released. His legal team has not offered a formal response either.
The second mugshot is a document. So is the footage. Both will be part of this story for a long time.