Tiger Woods returned to social media on Memorial Day to pay an emotional tribute to his late father Earl Woods.
“My father was a Special Forces operator who served two tours in Vietnam and 20 years of service,” the golf legend wrote on his Instagram Story on Monday.
“To those like my father, we are all grateful for your sacrifice,” he continued. “Without them, we wouldn’t have the greatest country on earth.”
Tiger’s girlfriend, Vanessa Trump, reshared the message on her personal account.
Earl, who is credited with guiding his son to a historic career in golf, died of a heart attack 20 years ago in May 2006. He was 74 years old.
Tiger’s scathing social media upload is his first since his DUI arrest in March. The 50-year-old athlete rolled his Land Rover on March 27 on Jupiter Island, Florida.
The five-time Masters Tournament champion has been involved in a number of car accidents in recent years, including when he tried to pass a pressure washer truck and clipped the back of it, causing his car to overturn.
Tiger was seen crawling out of the car after the dramatic crash, and authorities later said he was showing “signs of impairment” despite a negative breathalyzer test.
The player refused a urine test and was later charged with refusing to submit to a lawful test.
A police report previously obtained by Page Six claims authorities found “two white pills in the side pocket of (his) pants,” which were later determined to be hydrocodone, a narcotic painkiller.
The mug shot showed what authorities at the scene were said to have observed, with the image showing the player’s pupils were “bloodshot and glassy” and “extremely dilated.”
Body camera footage showed the 11-time PGA Player of the Year yawning, hiccupping and failing sobriety tests.
After his arrest, Tiger was booked into the Martin County Jail and released early on March 28th.
The golf icon faced a judge days later and pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges of DUI with property damage and refusing to submit to a legal test.
He then released a statement via X, writing, “I have decided to step away for a period of time to undergo treatment and focus on my health.”
“This is what I need to do to prioritize my health and work towards a lasting recovery,” he added.
Tiger, who is scheduled to appear in court on July 7, was seen landing in a private plane in Palm Beach, Florida, last month after completing a month-long rehabilitation stay at a treatment facility in Zurich.
On May 12, the player’s attorney Douglas Duncan appeared in Martin County, Florida, court, where a judge ruled that the world-famous golfer must provide prosecutors with his prescription records from the time of the accident.
A source told People in April that Tiger “just wants to get better in all aspects of his life” following the incident.
