Wired Word Lesson of the Week

The Wired Word

Topic for Sunday, April 19, 2026:

Tiger Woods Flips Car, Charged With DUI: We read in the news that golf superstar Tiger Woods, 5-time winner of the Masters Tournament, was arrested again for driving under the influence. We'll consider what help our faith offers to those whose lives are impacted by addiction.

In the News

Individuals are encouraged to read the news below related to this topic before the April 19th bible study to be prepared for an engaging conversation:

On Friday, March 27, golf legend Tiger Woods was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) following an accident around 2 p.m. on Jupiter Island, Florida. According to Martin County Sheriff John Budenseik, Woods was allegedly attempting to pass a flatbed truck at a "high rate of speed" when he swerved to avoid an oncoming car, causing him to clip the back of a trailer being towed by the truck and flip his luxury Land Rover.

While a breathalyzer test showed no signs of alcohol, two hydrocodone pills were found in the 15-time major champion's pocket. His refusal to take a urine test at the station led to his arrest on two misdemeanor counts. Authorities noted that Woods, 50, moved "lethargic and slow," and his eyes were "bloodshot and glassy," making it appear that he was under the influence of "some type of medication or drug." Woods was not injured in the incident. He pleaded not guilty, saying he was distracted by his phone.

This wasn't Woods' first accident. In 2009, as his marriage to Swedish model Elin Nordegren crumbled in the wake of revelations of his flagrant infidelity, Woods clipped hedges with his Cadillac Escalade outside his Windermere, Florida, home before careening into a fire hydrant and crashing into a neighbor's tree. He was driving under the influence of sleeping pills.

"I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to," Woods said at the time. "I felt that I had worked hard my entire life, and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me. I felt I was entitled. Thanks to money and fame, I didn't have to go far to find them. I was wrong. I was foolish."

"Tiger's statement was insightful, to a degree. He acknowledged typical factors that could have contributed to his unusual behavior," noted Dr. Todd Grande, a Licensed Professional Counselor of Mental Health and Licensed Chemical Dependency Professional. "Even so, he continued to have problems after this. It's almost like he understood what he was doing wrong, but was still unable ... or ... unwilling to stop. ... Sometimes people know exactly what they are doing. They understand precisely how destructive it is to people around them, but they keep doing it anyway."

In 2017, on Memorial Day, police found Woods asleep at the wheel of his Mercedes-Benz with the engine running at 3 a.m. in Jupiter, Florida, and booked him on a DUI charge after he failed a series of field tests. A toxicology report revealed five drugs in his system, which Woods said were prescription pain medications he used after undergoing back surgery.

Woods suffered severe leg injuries in 2021 when he rolled his car over while driving at a high rate of speed on a California highway. Since 2002, the athlete has had seven operations on his spine and over 20 surgeries on his legs, leading to his use of various prescription drugs to manage chronic pain and insomnia. 

Australian professional golfer Jason Day said he plays golf because of Tiger, who was his hero growing up. He remarked, "It just shows the human element and the human side of someone that is struggling with some sort of an addiction. He's not immune to it just because he can hit a golf ball really well."

"It's hard to see him go through what he's going through," Day continued. At the same time, he called Woods' decision to drive while under the influence of pain meds "selfish" since it put others at risk.

Dr. Grande said that even though Woods, a billionaire, could easily have afforded to hire a driver when he was incapacitated, he chose not to do so, demonstrating "a high level of arrogance and a disregard for the safety of others." He said Woods knew he shouldn't be behind the wheel of a car, but "wanted to have his way." Grande points out the hubris of believing that he could ask the president to take time from his responsibilities of running the country to intervene in a traffic stop situation in Jupiter, Florida. Not only that, but he seemed to believe that mentioning that he was on the phone with Mr. Trump would so impress the police officers with his importance that they would go easy on him.

Grande observed that while Woods has won 82 PGA Tour titles, lives in a mansion, owns a private jet, and has the president of the United States on speed dial, he has yet to deal with his dangerous compulsive behavior.

More on this story can be found at these links:

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