*This content was translated by AI.
Tiger Woods (50), known as the 'Emperor of Golf,' who caused a scandal with a shocking drug-driving and vehicle rollover accident in March, will finally appear in court more than five months after the incident.
The British media outlet 'Daily Mail' reported on the 24th (Korean time) that "Woods, who was arrested on charges of driving under the influence of drugs and had been out of the public eye, is set to make his first court appearance in early September."
According to reports, after the Prosecution Service of South Florida continued its investigation, the trial schedule was postponed multiple times, and it was confirmed that Woods would make his first official court appearance in early September. Woods has hired a lawyer and requested a jury trial.
Earlier, Darren Steel, judge of the Martin County Circuit Court in Florida, approved during July and August hearings for the Prosecution Service to obtain medical records from the hospital that treated Woods immediately after the accident. In May, both sides agreed to allow the Prosecution Service to review drug prescription records at a pharmacy in Palm Beach. These records are disclosed only to the Prosecution Service and the defense team under protective orders preventing external leaks.
In March, Woods was driving his SUV at high speed on a road in Jupiter Island, Florida, when he attempted to overtake a truck, resulting in a collision that caused his vehicle to roll over.
According to local reports including 'Fox News,' immediately after the accident, Woods made contradictory statements such as "I was on the phone with the president" and "I heard a loud bang the moment I looked down at my phone." Woods, who was clearly in a state of mental and physical weakness, sweating profusely and having dilated pupils, had a blood alcohol concentration measured at zero but refused a urine test. Later, two pills of narcotic painkillers were found in his pocket, leading to his arrest on the spot for drug driving, property damage, and refusal to undergo legal testing.
Immediately after his arrest, Woods completed a treatment program at a specialized rehabilitation facility in Zurich, Switzerland. He later returned to Florida upon learning that his girlfriend, Vanessa Trump, had been diagnosed with breast cancer.
Whenever he gets behind the wheel, accidents never cease. In 2009, during an infidelity scandal, Woods crashed into a fire hydrant. In 2017, he was arrested for falling asleep in his car on a Florida road after taking five types of drugs, including narcotic painkillers. In 2021, in California, he suffered severe injuries, including a shattered right leg, from a major rollover accident and underwent multiple surgeries.
After undergoing Achilles tendon rupture surgery and his seventh back surgery following The Open in 2024, Woods was initially considering a comeback at the Masters in April this year, but due to this latest accident, he declined the role of captain for the U.S. Ryder Cup team in 2027 and announced an indefinite suspension of his activities.
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*This content was translated by AI.
