The golf star "doesn't want anyone to watch over him or know what he is doing," the insider tells PEOPLE
Credit: Mike Ehrmann/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Tiger Woods has previously declined to hire a driver for himself due to privacy reasons, a source tells PEOPLE exclusively
- The professional golfer, 50, was arrested and charged with DUI with property damage in Florida on Friday, March 27
- Woods “doesn’t want anyone to watch over him or know what he is doing,” the insider says
Tiger Woods' desire for privacy is stopping him from hiring a driver, a source tells PEOPLE.
Following his arrest for driving under the influence (DUI) near Jupiter Island, Fla., on Friday, March 27, a local source tells PEOPLE exclusively that the professional golfer has opted not to hire a driver for himself — despite previously being involved in other car accidents.
Woods, 50, "doesn't want anyone to watch over him or know what he is doing," the source says. "And he thinks he is fine to drive."
The athlete was charged with DUI with property damage, as well as refusal to submit to a lawful test, after he was involved in a rollover crash on Friday.
Credit: David Cannon/Getty
The source adds that Woods prefers to keep his life private and dislikes negative attention.
"He is not a social butterfly and prefers to hang around his home with his kids, or hitting balls, or playing video games," the source says. "He despises public scrutiny."
A representative for Woods did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Woods shares two teenage children, daughter Sam, 18, and son Charlie, 17, with ex-wife Elin Nordegren. He is now dating Vanessa Trump, and the source tells PEOPLE that Vanessa, 48, seemingly fits easily into his world.
"Vanessa has settled right into their dating life due to the similarities in their current situations with kids, great weather out their door, golf in their lives, and school projects for their kids," the source says.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Credit: Tiger Woods/Instagram
The March 27 crash that led to Woods’ DUI arrest involved the athlete’s Land Rover and a pressure-cleaning truck that was pulling a small trailer, Martin County Sheriff John M. Budensiek previously said in a press conference.
The police chief confirmed that Woods “did exhibit signs of impairment," but added that authorities "were not suspicious of alcohol being involved in this case, and that proved to be true at the jail," where he blew "triple zeroes" on the breathalyzer test.
After bonding out, Woods was released from custody at Martin County jail that same day. His mugshot was released shortly after his arrest.
Woods was previously involved in two other car accidents. He sustained serious injuries in a 2021 crash in Los Angeles that required surgery and was also involved in a separate incident in 2009, also near his Florida residence.
Woods was previously charged with DUI in 2017 after being found by police asleep in his car in Jupiter Island. He pleaded guilty to reckless driving, ultimately receiving a fine and a one-year probation. Woods also entered a diversion program.
“I want the public to know that alcohol was not involved,” he said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE at the time. “What happened was an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications. I didn’t realize the mix of medications had affected me so strongly.”
Read the full article here
