Tiger will step away to 'seek treatment'
Woods will miss the Masters and take a break from committees after latest crash, charges
Tiger Woods’ Land Rover after his rollover crash in Jupiter, Fla. (Associated Press via Martin County Sheriff’s Office)
In his first statement since his arrest and charges after another rollover crash last week near his home in Jupiter, Fla., Tiger Woods said he will step away to seek treatment for his health issues.
“I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in today,” Woods posted on social media. “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, 50, was charged with driving under the influence, property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful urinalysis test on Friday when he was in a rollover car crash after clipping a pressure-washing trailer attached to a truck that had slowed down to turn in front of him. Police reports said he was found with two hydrocodone pills in his pocket — a prescription painkiller commonly known as Vicodin.
Officers said he 15-time major winner appeared lethargic, with bloodshot eyes and was “sweating profusely.” He passed a field sobriety test and claimed that he was distracted by his phone when he came up on the stopped vehicle in front of him.
Woods has pleaded not guilty and is seeking a jury trial.
In the immediate future, Woods will not be in Augusta next week to play in the Masters, help open the short course he designed as part of Augusta National’s redesign of The Patch municipal course or attend the Champions Dinner hosted by Rory McIlroy.
Woods will also temporarily step away as the chair of the PGA Tour’s future competition committee until he is ready to return. The group, tasked with reshaping the future structure and schedule of the PGA Tour, reportedly met virtually Tuesday without Woods.
“Tiger Woods is a legend of our sport whose impact extends far beyond his achievements on the course,” the PGA Tour said in a statement. “But above all else, Tiger is a person, and our focus is on his health and well-being. Tiger continues to have our full support as he takes this important step.”
PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp, in his own statement, said: “Over the last year, I have come to deeply appreciate Tiger not only for his impact on the game, but for his friendship and the perspective he has shared with me as I joined the golf industry. My thoughts are with him and his family as he takes this step, for which he has my full respect and support.”
The absence of Woods leaves the 2026 Masters field at 92 qualified players after Texas Children’s Houston Open winner Gary Woodland and four others players qualified last week via the top-50 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Daniel Berger, Jake Knapp, Nicolai Højgaard and Matt McCarty each earned a spot into the season’s first major, which begins April 9 at Augusta National.
Michael Thorbjornsen started the final round in Houston tied third and needed a top-five finish or better to slide into the top 50. But as it did at the Players Championship his poor Sunday finish cost him dearly as he finished T14 and only moved up to No. 54.
Pierceson Coody, who before the Florida swing ranked No. 45, missed his third cut around a T55 at the Valspar and just missed becoming the first grandson of a Masters champion (Charles Coody, 1971) to qualify to play Augusta.
One more Masters spot is available to the winner of this week’s Valero Texas Open.
Gary Woodland after ending a seven-year victory drought with emotional win in Houston (Jordan Bank/Getty Images)
2026 Masters Field
Through March 30, 2026
Here’s how the 92 players currently qualified and expected to play in the 2026 Masters got into the field
# first-timers (23); * amateurs (6); Americans (49); Internationals (43); Seniors (6)
Ludvig Åberg (13, 18, 25, 26) – Sweden
Daniel Berger (26)
Akshay Bhatia (18, 25, 26)
Keegan Bradley (17, 18, 25, 26)
#Michael Brennan (25)
#Jacob Bridgeman (17, 18, 26)
Sam Burns (18, 25, 26)
Angel Cabrera (1) – Argentina
Brian Campbell (17)
Patrick Cantlay (18, 25)
Wyndham Clark (2, 25) – through 2028
Corey Conners (13, 18, 25, 26) – Canada
Fred Couples (1)
Jason Day (13, 26) – Australia
Bryson DeChambeau (2, 13, 25, 26) – through 2029
Nico Echavarria (17, 26) – Colombia
Harris English (13, 15, 16, 18, 25, 26)
#Ethan Fang* (8)
Matthew Fitzpatrick (2, 25, 26) – England – through 2027
Tommy Fleetwood (17, 18, 25, 26) – England
Ryan Fox (17, 25 26,) – New Zealand
Sergio Garcia (1) – Spain
#Ryan Gerard (25, 26)
#Chris Gotterup (15, 17, 18, 19, 25, 26)
#Max Greyserman (25)
#Ben Griffin (17, 18, 25, 26)
#Harry Hall (18) – England
Brian Harman (3, 18, 25, 26) – through 2028
Tyrrell Hatton (14, 25, 26) -- England
Russell Henley (18, 25, 26)
#Jackson Herrington* (7-B)
#Brandon Holtz* (11)
Nicolai Højgaard (26) – Denmark
Rasmus Højgaard (25, 26) – Denmark
Max Homa (13)
Viktor Hovland (14, 18, 25, 26) -- Norway
#Mason Howell* (7-A)
Sungjae Im (13, 18, 25) – South Korea
#Casey Jarvis (24) – South Africa
Dustin Johnson (1)
Zach Johnson (1, 13)
#Naoyuki Kataoka (21) -- Japan
#John Keefer (25, 26)
Kurt Kitayama (17, 25, 26)
Michael Kim (25)
Si Woo Kim (25, 26) – South Korea
Jake Knapp (26)
Brooks Koepka (4) – through 2028
#Fifa Laopakdee* (9) – Thailand
Min Woo Lee (25, 26) – Australia
Haotong Li (15) – (China)
Shane Lowry (18, 25, 26) – Ireland
Robert MacIntyre (14, 18, 25, 26) – Scotland
Hideki Matsuyama (1, 17, 18, 25, 26) – Japan
Matt McCarty (26)
Rory McIlroy (1, 3, 5, 18, 25, 26) – Northern Ireland
#Tom McKibbin (22) – Northern Ireland
Maverick McNealy (18, 25, 26)
Phil Mickelson (1, 4)
Collin Morikawa (3, 4, 17, 18, 25, 26) – through 2026
#Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (23, 25, 26) – Denmark
Alex Noren (25) – Sweden
#Andrew Novak (18, 25)
José María Olazábal (1) – Spain
Carlos Ortiz (14) – Mexico
#Marco Penge (20, 25, 26) – England
Aldrich Potgieter (17) – South Africa
#Mateo Pulcini* (10) – Argentina
Jon Rahm (1, 2) – Spain
Aaron Rai (25, 26) – England
Patrick Reed (1, 13, 25, 26)
#Kristoffer Reitan (25, 26) – Norway
Davis Riley (16)
Justin Rose (13, 17, 18, 25, 26) – England
Xander Schauffele (3, 4, 13, 25, 26) – through 2029
Scottie Scheffler (1, 3, 4, 5, 13, 17, 18, 25, 26)
Charl Schwartzel (1) – South Africa
Adam Scott (1) – Australia
Vijay Singh (1) – Fiji
Cameron Smith (3) – Australia – through 2027
J.J. Spaun (2, 18, 25, 26) – through 2030
Jordan Spieth (1)
#Samuel Stevens (25)
Nick Taylor (18) – Canada
Justin Thomas (4, 18, 25, 26) – through 2027
#Sami Valimaki (25) – Finland
Bubba Watson (1)
Mike Weir (1) – Canada
Danny Willett (1) – England
Gary Woodland (17)
Cameron Young (3, 14, 17, 18, 25, 26)
CATEGORY 1: Masters Tournament Champions (Lifetime)
CATEGORY 2: U.S. Open champions (Honorary, non-competing after 5 years)
CATEGORY 3: British Open Champions (Honorary, non-competing after 5 years)
CATEGORY 4: PGA Champions (Honorary, non-competing after 5 years)
CATEGORY 5: The Players Championship Winners (3 years)
CATEGORY 6: Current Olympic Gold Medalist
CATEGORY 7A & 7B: Current U.S. Amateur champion (A, Honorary, non-competing after 1 year) and runner-up (B)
CATEGORY 8: Current British Amateur Champion (Honorary, non-competing after 1 year)
CATEGORY 9: Current Asia-Pacific Amateur Champion
CATEGORY 10: Current Latin America Amateur Champion (TBD Jan. 15-18, 2026 at Lima Golf Club)
CATEGORY 11: Current U.S. Mid-Amateur Champion
CATEGORY 12: Current NCAA Individual Champion
CATEGORY 13: First 12 players (including ties) in previous year’s Masters
CATEGORY 14: First 4 players (including ties) in previous year’s U.S. Open
CATEGORY 15: First 4 players (including ties) in previous year’s British Open
CATEGORY 16: First 4 players (including ties) in previous year’s PGA Championship
CATEGORY 17: Individual winners from previous Masters to current Masters of non-opposite PGA Tour events that award a full FedEx Cup point allocation toward the Tour Championship
CATEGORY 18: Eligible qualifiers for previous year’s season-ending Tour Championship
CATEGORY 19: Current Scottish Open champion
CATEGORY 20: Current Spanish Open champion
CATEGORY 21: Current Japan Open champion
CATEGORY 22: Current Hong Kong Open champion
CATEGORY 23: Current Australian Open champion (TBD Dec. 4-7, 2025 at Royal Melbourne Golf Club)
CATEGORY 24: Current South African Open champion (TBD Feb. 2026 at Stellenbosch Golf Club)
CATEGORY 25: Top 50 on final Official World Golf Ranking for previous calendar year
CATEGORY 26: Top 50 on Official World Golf Ranking published week prior to current Masters
SPECIAL EXEMPTION: The Masters Committee, at its discretion, also invites international players otherwise not qualified
