Tiger Woods says he will step away from golf and seek treatment after DUI charge
Tiger Woods said he will step away from golf to seek treatment and focus on his health after his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence following a rollover crash near his Florida home.“I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in today,” Woods said in a statement posted on X.“I am stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health.This is necessary in order for me to prioritize my well-being and work toward lasting recovery.”“I’m committed to taking the time needed to return in a healthier, stronger, and more focused place, both personally and professionally.
I appreciate your understanding and support, and ask for privacy for my family, loved ones and myself at this time,”Woods pleaded not guilty to DUI and demanded a jury trial after the crash on a residential road near his Jupiter Island home, according to court records released on Tuesday,A probable cause affidavit obtained earlier Tuesday by the Guardian stated that Woods told deputies he was looking down at his phone and changing the radio station before the incident,The 50-year-old golf star was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor DUI with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test on Friday afternoon after his Land Rover clipped a truck and rolled on to its side,According to the affidavit, Woods told Martin County sheriff’s investigators that he did not notice the vehicle in front of him had slowed down before the crash.
The affidavit states that Woods attempted to pass the vehicle by crossing over a double yellow line into oncoming traffic before striking it with the front right side of his SUV, causing him to lose control and flip on to the driver’s side.Deputies said Woods was the sole occupant of the vehicle and was unable to exit from the driver’s side due to the rollover, instead climbing out through the front passenger side.The driver of the other vehicle, identified as Jeremy Bullard, reported no injuries.The report estimated the incident caused roughly $5,000 in damage to the trailer.According to the affidavit, a deputy at the scene observed “several signs of impairment” while speaking with Woods, including profuse sweating and sluggish movement.
Another officer noted that Woods’s eyes appeared “bloodshot and glassy” and that his speech and movements were “lethargic and slow”.Woods told investigators he had not consumed alcohol, but said he had taken “a few” prescription medications earlier in the day, including Vicodin, as well as medication for blood pressure and cholesterol.Officers conducted a series of field sobriety exercises, during which Woods showed multiple signs of impairment, according to the report.Additionally, Woods advised that he had undergone seven back surgeries and more than 20 operations on his leg, adding that his ankle can seize while walking.Deputies said he had difficulty maintaining balance, failed to follow instructions and struggled with coordination tasks.
Based on those observations, an officer determined that Woods was unable to safely operate a motor vehicle and placed him under arrest at 3,12pm,A search following his arrest uncovered two pills in Woods’s pocket that were later identified as hydrocodone, a prescription opioid, according to the affidavit,Woods later submitted to a breath test, which showed no alcohol in his system, but he refused to provide a urine sample to test for drugs,Authorities said he was charged with refusal to submit to testing in addition to DUI with property damage.
He was taken to a local hospital for medical clearance before being transported to the Martin County jail, where he declined medical treatment and was held for the mandatory eight hours under Florida law before he could post $1,150 bail.Donald Trump said Tuesday that he’s spoken with Woods since the incident, noting the golfer “lives a life of pain” due to his injury history but is “doing great”.Woods has been in a relationship with Trump’s former daughter-in-law, Vanessa Trump, for more than a year.“He tested negative for alcohol, as you know, and he is under a tremendous physical pressure from his various ailments, you know, the back and the leg,” Trump said in a phone interview with the New York Post.“He lives a life of pain.
He has a lot of pain.He’s an amazing guy.He’s an amazing athlete.He does have pain.”Trump added: “He doesn’t have an alcohol problem, but he does have pain.
”Woods, who had been scheduled for arraignment on 23 April in Martin County court, will no longer have to appear in person for that initial hearing after his attorney, Douglas Duncan, filed a waiver of arraignment and demand for a jury trial,The case is due back in court on 5 May for a docket sounding, a routine hearing to assess both parties’ readiness for trial,Woods has played a limited schedule in recent years while working his way back from multiple injuries, including a ruptured achilles tendon,He has not competed in an official PGA Tour event since July 2024, though he appeared last Tuesday in the TGL indoor league he co-founded with Rory McIlroy,Prior to last week’s crash, Woods was on the entry list for this year’s US Senior Open but had not committed to playing, while his availability for next month’s Masters at Augusta National Golf Club remained uncertain.
Marmite maker Unilever agrees $44.8bn deal to combine food arm with McCormick
Unilever has agreed to combine its food business with US-based McCormick in a $44.8bn deal that will give the Marmite-to-Hellmann’s mayonnaise owner majority control of a food empire.The Anglo-Dutch company will control 65% of the new spin-off, which will combine brands such as Knorr and Pot Noodle with McCormick’s condiments and spices including French’s mustard, Old Bay seasoning and Cholula hot sauce.However, the combined company will be called McCormick and led by its executives, with senior management representation from the ranks of Unilever’s food business.Under the agreement, McCormick will pay London-listed Unilever $15
Centuries-old pottery firm Denby set to call in administrators
Denby has called in administrators, putting the 217-year-old Derbyshire pottery at risk of closure with the loss of almost 600 jobs.The company, which was rescued from administration in 2009 by the restructuring experts Hilco and also owns the Burleigh brand, produced by Burgess and Leigh based in Stoke-on-Trent, is understood to have struggled with the surging cost of gas, higher labour costs, tighter financial markets and softening consumer demand for its premium homeware.Earlier this month, Sebastian Lazell, the chief executive of Denby, told BBC News he was “trying to move heaven and earth” to save the business.A #SaveDenby campaign was launched in an attempt to encourage people to buy more products and to lobby the government to provide support.Denby Group said on Tuesday that “the outpouring of support” in response to the campaign had been “overwhelming and deeply moving” but it had been unable to secure “strategic investment partners” to help the business continue
Oil price jumps to $118 a barrel after Trump comments; cost of filling up family car with diesel passes £100 – as it happened
Time to wrap up…Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil prices, rose by as much as 5% to $118.43 a barrel after Donald Trump told allies to buy US jet fuel or “take it” from the strait of Hormuz.The US president wrote on his social media platform Truth Social:I have a suggestion for you: Number 1, buy from the U.S., we have plenty, and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT
Steel bosses warn ‘back door’ loophole in UK trade rules could lead to job cuts and closures
Steel bosses have warned ministers that a “back door” in new trade rules could hit British manufacturers and lead to job cuts and factory closures by allowing a vast array of foreign products to still enter the UK tax-free.The loophole means pre-made steel parts ranging from bridge sections, columns and door frames, all the way to smaller rods and tubes used in buildings, will escape recently announced import tariffs, the Guardian understands.Earlier in March, ministers said they would double tariffs on imported steel and cut the amount that can be bought from abroad in an attempt to protect Britain’s struggling steelmakers from a flood of cheap imports from China.But industry bosses say the measures overwhelmingly target imports of the metal straight from the furnace – protecting the likes of Tata and British Steel – but leave products that have already been drilled and cut into shape untouched.The rules allow foreign pre-made steel in via a “back door”, said Simon Boyd, the managing director of Reidsteel, a maker of structural building parts that employs about 130 people
Food price rises unlikely before summer, says boss of Sainsbury’s
Shoppers will not see food prices rise until at least the summer and Easter will be unaffected by conflict in the Middle East, the boss of Sainsbury’s has said, despite fears of an inflation spike.Simon Roberts said it was “too early” to say whether and when food price inflation related to higher commodity costs would hit supermarket shelves and that the UK’s second-largest supermarket had long-term agreements with suppliers to help protect shoppers.“We have a lot of the tools to make sure we’ll do everything possible to contain the impact on inflation,” he said. “Obviously we are watching and monitoring events closely.“We’re not looking at immediate consequences or near-term consequences that we don’t think we’ve got a plan to navigate
UK house prices rose sharply in March but Iran war expected to cause slowdown
UK house prices increased at the fastest rate in almost 18 months in March, although surging mortgage rates amid the Iran war are likely to lead to a market slowdown, according to Nationwide.The UK’s biggest building society said the price of a typical UK home increased by 0.9% month on month in March, the largest increase since December 2024.The increase, which compares with a 0.3% rise recorded in February and is ahead of economists’ expectations of 0
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