JUPITER ISLAND, Fla. Tiger Woods received court approval Wednesday to travel outside the United States for urgent inpatient treatment after pleading not guilty this week in a misdemeanor case centered on DUI-related charges from last week’s rollover crash in Florida. The ruling came after Woods said he was stepping away from golf to focus on his health, and it also removes him from next week’s Masters while closing the door on the 2027 U.S. Ryder Cup captaincy. April 2, 2026.
According to court records cited by ESPN, Woods’ attorney told the court the golfer urgently needed an “intensive, highly individualized and medically integrated program” outside the country because public exposure in the United States could interfere with treatment. That move followed Woods’ decision to step away from golf and miss the Masters while he works toward what he called a lasting recovery.
Tiger Woods legal case and treatment timeline
The case stems from the March 27 crash near Woods’ Jupiter Island home. In its initial report on the incident, Reuters reported that Woods was arrested on misdemeanor charges including DUI, property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test after his Land Rover rolled over while passing a truck towing a trailer. Authorities said a breathalyzer detected no alcohol, and investigators believed any impairment was related to drugs or medication.
Woods later entered a not-guilty plea and requested a jury trial. His next court date is scheduled for May 5, and he is not required to appear in person before trial.
Tiger Woods misses the Masters and exits Ryder Cup picture
His absence now reaches beyond the courtroom. Woods will not be at Augusta next week, even for the Champions Dinner, after Augusta National backed his decision to prioritize treatment and recovery. The broader team-golf consequence became official Wednesday, when The Associated Press reported that Woods informed the PGA of America he would not serve as U.S. captain for the 2027 Ryder Cup.
That leaves the PGA of America facing two immediate realities: one of the event’s biggest names is missing from the year’s first major, and the organization must again look elsewhere for a captain after months of uncertainty around Woods’ availability and health.
Tiger Woods and the longer arc of this story
This moment also lands against a longer history. After his 2017 DUI case, Woods said he had completed treatment to deal with medications. In 2021, he suffered severe leg injuries in a Southern California crash that reshaped the rest of his playing career. And on the captaincy side, the PGA of America had already been forced to pivot once before, when Keegan Bradley was named U.S. captain for the 2025 Ryder Cup after Woods weighed the demands of the role.
None of that decides what happens next in court or whether Woods returns to public competition later this year. But it does explain why Wednesday’s ruling felt larger than a routine legal step: once again, Tiger Woods’ health, schedule and standing in the sport all shifted at the same time.
