Tiger Woods' Legal Troubles Explained

It goes without saying that golf legend Tiger Woods has enjoyed an amazing career, but that does not mean it has been free of any blemishes. 

At first, Woods appeared to be a publicist's dream — an attractive golden boy with a megawatt smile and a mean golf swing! But that all changed on one fateful night in November 2009, when the professional golfer's car collided with a fire hydrant right outside his home in Orlando, Fla., per Sports Illustrated. Following the accident, Woods' wife at the time, Elin Nordegren, reportedly smashed the vehicle with a golf club in an effort to free her husband. As a result of the accident, Woods was issued a citation for careless driving and ordered to pay $164 in restitution. Unfortunately, that would only be the tip of the iceberg when it came to Woods' future legal woes. 

Keep reading after the jump to learn more about the famous golfer's legal troubles.

According to Sports Illustrated, trouble would find Tiger Woods yet again in the wee hours of the morning on May 29, 2017. It was reported that the professional athlete was found asleep at the wheel of his vehicle, which was parked along the side of the road and was promptly arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. He was subsequently released without bond. 

Upon further investigation, a toxicology report revealed that Woods was not under the influence of any alcohol, but there were four prescription drugs found present in his system, including: "Hydrocodone, an opioid pain medication; Hydromorphone, another type of painkiller; Alprazolam, an anxiety drug also under the brand name Xanax; and Zolpidem, a sleep drug also under the brand name Ambien," as reported by NBC. 

Following his arrest, Woods completed a diversion program and, as a result, the driving under the influence charge was dropped. He did, however, plead guilty to a reckless driving charge and was ordered to pay $250 dollars in fines along with court costs. Woods was also sentenced to a year of probation and was required to complete a DUI class, 50 hours of community service, and complete a workshop for victims of impaired drivers, per NBC.

It should be noted that, following the 2017 arrest, Woods has not had any more brushes with law.