Tiger Woods marked Memorial Day with his first public statement since a Florida car crash nearly two months ago, writing that his father—an Army Special Forces operator who served in Vietnam—made sacrifices that helped shape the country he calls the “greatest.
Tiger Woods chose Memorial Day to break his silence.
On the holiday, the golfer—50—posted his first public statement since a car crash in Florida nearly two months ago. In a message on X, he wrote that his father was “a Special Forces operator with two tours in Vietnam and 20 years of service.”
“To all those like my father, we all say thank you for your sacrifices. Without them we wouldn’t have the greatest country on Earth,” Woods added.
Earl Woods died in 2006.
The tribute lands at a moment when Woods has been at the center of legal and personal uncertainty since the crash. It was also the first statement he made since March 31—four days after the car crash. That incident led to him being charged with DUI with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test.
In the aftermath of the crash, Woods passed a breathalyzer but refused to take a urine test.
In a separate statement on X made after that period, Woods wrote: “I understand the seriousness in which I find myself today.”
A judge has also ordered Woods’ prescription records released to prosecutors.
Woods’ return to public view comes as his recovery remains ongoing. He reportedly has spent several weeks in Switzerland for inpatient rehabilitation treatment, before temporarily returning to Florida. The timing of that return overlapped with a disclosure by his girlfriend, Vanessa Trump, that she has breast cancer.
Woods has won 15 majors, with his most recent coming at the 2019 Masters Tournament. His last competitive round took place at the Masters in 2024.
Tiger Woods Memorial Day Earl Woods DUI charge prescription records rehabilitation Switzerland Vanessa Trump breast cancer car crash Florida X statement