In November 2009, the National Enquirer published a story claiming that Woods had had an extramarital affair with New York City nightclub manager Rachel Uchitel, who denied the claim.[237][238] Two days later, around 2:30 a.m. on November 27, Woods was driving from his Florida mansion in his Cadillac Escalade SUV when he collided with a fire hydrant, a tree, and several hedges near his home.[239] He was treated for minor facial lacerations and received a ticket for careless driving.[239][240] Following intense media speculation about the cause of the accident, Woods released a statement on his website and took sole responsibility for the accident, calling it a "private matter" and crediting his wife for helping him from the car.[241][242] On November 30, Woods announced that he would not be appearing at his own charity golf tournament, the Chevron World Challenge, nor any other tournaments in 2009, due to his injuries.[243]
On December 2, following Us Weekly's previous day reporting of a purported mistress and subsequent release of a voicemail message allegedly left by Woods for the woman,[244] Woods released a further statement. He admitted "transgressions" and apologized to "all of those who have supported [him] over the years", while reiterating his and his family's right to privacy.[238][245] Over the next few days, more than a dozen women claimed in various media outlets to have had affairs with Woods.[11] On December 11, he released a third statement admitting to infidelity and apologizing again, as well as announcing that he would be taking "an indefinite break from professional golf."[11]
In the days and months following Woods's admission of multiple infidelities, several companies re-evaluated their relationships with him. Accenture, AT&T, Gatorade and General Motors completely ended their sponsorship deals, while Gillette) suspended advertising featuring Woods.[100][246][247] TAG Heuer dropped Woods from advertising in December 2009 and officially ended their deal when his contract expired in August 2011.[100][248] Golf Digest suspended Woods's monthly column beginning with the February 2010 issue.[249] In contrast, Nike continued to support Woods, as did Electronic Arts, which was working with Woods on the game Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online.[250] A December 2009 study estimated the shareholder loss caused by Woods's affairs to be between $5 billion and $12 billion.[251]
On February 19, 2010, Woods gave a televised statement in which he said he had undertaken a 45-day therapy program beginning at the end of December. He again apologized for his actions. "I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to," he said. "I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me. I felt I was entitled. Thanks to money and fame, I didn't have to go far to find them. I was wrong. I was foolish." He said he did not know yet when he would be returning to golf.[99][252] He announced a few weeks later on March 16 that he would play in the 2010 Masters Tournament on April 8.[253]
After seven years of marriage, Woods and his wife Elin divorced on August 23, 2010.[254]
On May 29, 2017, Woods was arrested near his Jupiter Island, Florida, home by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office at about 3:00 a.m. EDT for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. He was asleep in his car, which was stationary in a traffic lane with its engine running. He later stated that he was taking prescription drugs and did not realize how they might interact together.[255][256][257] On July 3, 2017, Woods tweeted that he had completed an out-of-state intensive program to tackle an unspecified issue.[258] On August 9, 2017, Woods, who skipped his arraignment,[259] entered a not guilty plea through his attorney Douglas Duncan and agreed to take part in a first-time DUI offender program and attend another arraignment on October 25.[260]
At a hearing on October 27, 2017, Woods pleaded guilty to reckless driving. He received a year of probation, was fined $250, and ordered to undergo 50 hours of community service along with regular drug tests. He is not allowed to drink alcohol during the probation, and if he violates the probation he will be sentenced to 90 days in jail with an additional $500 fine.[261]