Sad: The Operative Word In Assessments Of Tiger's Latest Episode

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There is no other way to characterize Tiger's latest driving mishap but sad.

He is blaming the DUI on prescription medication issues and not on alcohol. According to this AP story, that position could be verified as soon as Tuesday when a toxicology report may be released. Tim Rosaforte reported a similar possibility for GolfChannel.com.

Tiger issued this statement, writes USA Today's Steve DiMeglio. The full statement denying he was under the influence of alcohol:

There are other stakes for Woods, including possible loss of driving privileges and imprisonment. From a MorningRead.com staff report:

Under Florida statute 316.193, a first offense for DUI carries a fine of $500-$1,000 and up to six months’ imprisonment.

Celebrity website TMZ.com, citing unnamed law-enforcement sources, said Woods was driving a 2015 Mercedes-Benz “erratically, all over the road,” adding that he was “arrogant” during the stop and refused to take a Breathalyzer test. Under Florida’s “implied consent” law, that refusal would trigger an automatic license suspension.

Jaime Diaz writes that the saddest part of an increasingly sad story may be the news that many would be shocked by the arrest. Nor will they be surprised if his approach to recovery is less than pretty.

It would seem unlikely that Woods will publicly be forthcoming about his inner life, including this latest ordeal, even though some professionals in the mental-health field would advise him that it would be productive. If he follows precedent, after an initial statement he and his camp will never voluntarily mention the DUI, and hope that if and when Woods begins playing competitively again, public curiosity will have dissipated, and even transformed from condemnation to sympathy and forgiveness. Especially, as has been the pattern, if Woods gives indications that he can play well again. His historical greatness is such that the majority of those who love golf will continue to hope that he can again exhibit a genius the game has arguably never seen.

I'm saddened that this is who an entire generation will remember, not the great athlete who gave us so many thrills. Throw in the modern day recency bias and his latest mishaps, and it's hard not to conclude his legacy is tarnished. In an open letter to Woods for Golfweek.com, I suggest that maybe playing the legacy card is a way for those around him could help him change course.

Ryan Lavner also plays the sad card, noting...

Sad because one of the most recognizable athletes on the planet has been reduced to this new low.

Sad because the most dominant golfer ever has been betrayed by his body, and undone by his ego, and his competitive future is a mystery.

Sad because he needs support, and guidance, and it’s unclear who will provide it.

Sad because he has meant so much to so many, because he has touched so many lives, and his fall from grace has been staggering.

Jason Sobel for ESPN.com:

Look at those sunken eyes in that mugshot and we no longer see the mercurial golfer who once seemed so invincible inside the ropes. There often was debate during his prime over whether Woods intimidated his opponents. He wasn't just better than them, the argument stated, he also was tougher. It's difficult to beat a guy who holds not just a physical and technical advantage over the field, but a mental one, as well.

This, though, is Woods at his most vulnerable. It is an image he never wanted to portray to anyone, let alone the entire, gawking world. And it's a sad one, the very portrait of a man who has made mistakes.