Tiger Woods said his arrest early Monday morning on suspicion of driving under the influence was due to an "unexpected reaction" to mixing prescription medications.
Addressing the incident for the first time, the 14-time major championship winner expressed remorse and insisted alcohol was not a contributing factor to his impairment.
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"I understand the severity of what I did and I take full responsibility for my actions," Woods, 41, wrote in a statement. "I want the public to now that alcohol was not involved. What happened was an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications. I didn't realize the mix of medications had affected me so strongly.
"I would like to apologize with all my heart to my family, friends and the fans. I expect more from myself too."
Woods was booked in Palm Beach County Jail at 7:18 a.m. and released at 10:50 a.m. Monday, the facility's online records show.
The charge is for having an unlawful blood alcohol content level, which would be .08 or above in Florida.
Woods, a resident of Jupiter Island, has not played professionally since withdrawing from the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in February while recovering from chronic back injuries. He underwent back surgery in April — his fourth since spring 2014.
In a blog post last week, Woods provided an optimistic update on his rehabilitation process and vowed a return to the PGA Tour as soon as physically possible.
"I want to say unequivocally, I want to play professional golf again," he wrote. "Presently, I'm not looking ahead. I can't twist for another two and a half to three months. Right now, my sole focus is rehab and doing what the doctors tell me. I am concentrating on short-term goals."
