Golf star happy to have Tiger Woods back around PGA Tour after arrest: ‘Good thing for us’

Tiger Woods made his first public appearance since his arrest in late March on Tuesday, as he introduced PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp at a press conference at TPC River Highlands in Connecticut.

Woods was arrested and charged with DUI involving property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test following his involvement in a two-car rollover crash on March 27 near his home on Jupiter Island, Florida. Authorities said Woods appeared lethargic and found hydrocodone pills in his possession at the scene, though he registered “triple-zeroes” on breathalyzer tests.

Woods pleaded not guilty to the DUI charge and was granted permission on April 1 to travel abroad for inpatient treatment. He is believed to have entered a rehabilitation facility in Zurich, Switzerland.

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But Woods is now back in the United States and wasted little time making his presence felt on one of the most significant days in recent PGA Tour history.

For Xander Schauffele, it was a sense of normalcy.

“I saw Tiger. It was good. I thought he looked good, said hi to him,” Schauffele said of the 15-time major winner to Fox News Digital. “He was happy to be in the meeting. Definitely wanted to speak to the membership. Definitely good.

“Anytime Tiger’s on property at a golf course, even if he’s not even suited up to play, it’s a good thing for us.”

Woods introduced Rolapp before the latter spoke about a new series of recommendations from the Future Competition Committee that will bring forth significant changes to the circuit’s structure beginning in 2028.

The arrest was Woods’ second in under a decade, with both occurring near his home in Jupiter. In his first arrest, he was found asleep behind the wheel at around 3 a.m.

Outkick’s Mark Harris contributed to this report.

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