Tiger Woods has been called out by Jason Day after his arrest for DUI in Florida that has seen one of golf’s all-time greats fly to Switzerland for rehab.
Florida police determined Woods was impaired March 27 when his Land Rover struck a trailer and flipped on its side on a residential street. They found two painkiller pills in his pocket and Woods was arrested and briefly jailed for refusing to submit to a urine test.
Woods has pleaded not guilty and was granted permission to seek treatment outside of the United States.
Now, speaking at Augusta where he is preparing for the Masters this week, Day chose his words carefully but was critical of the 15-time Major winner.
‘He’s just a human being like everyone else and we have struggles,’ Day said. ‘It’s unfortunate.
‘The only thing that I don’t understand is that it’s a little bit selfish of him to drive and put other people in harm’s way, as well.
Tiger Woods has been branded ‘selfish’ by Jason Day after his arrest for DUI in March
Day (right) added that Woods is his hero and praised him for seeking professional help
‘But when you’re the player that he was and how strong-willed he is, he thinks he can do almost anything. That’s probably why he’s driving and a little bit under the influence.’
Day, a one-time Major winner from the 2015 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, underlined his admiration for Woods’ achievements in the game, adding: ‘He was my hero – he’s my hero.
‘The reason why I play golf is because of this tournament and Tiger. It’s hard to see him go through what he´s going through, and especially under the microscope.
‘It must be hard to be who he is and have everything, everyone look on, kind of down on him. Some people want him to fail. Some people obviously want him to succeed.
‘It’s really difficult for me to go through that and watch him, and I know that he´s getting the help now, which is good. I’m just hoping he comes out on the other side and is better.’
Five of the 15 Major titles to Woods’ name came at Augusta and his presence is still felt around the fabled course this week, even in his absence. His last Major triumph was at Augusta, in 2019.
But since then, his personal issues away from the sport have been a major part of the Woods story.
He rolled his SUV in Los Angeles in 2021, crushing his right leg. Last year, he tore his Achilles and had a seventh back surgery before his 50th birthday.
Woods rolled his car near his Jupiter Island home in March, his fourth incident involving a car
The recent incident in Florida is the fourth involving Woods and his car.
The first was when he crashed into a fire hydrant outside his home after wife Elin Nordegren discovered he had been cheating.
In 2017, police found him asleep at the wheel on the side of the road with his engine still running.
Woods was arrested for that and said it was an ‘unexpected reaction’ to prescription medication that had left him in the condition he was in.
‘I will do everything in my power to ensure this never happens again,’ he said at the time.
