judge-allows-tiger-woods-to-travel-abroad-for-medical-treatment

A US judge in Florida has approved golf star Tiger Woods’s request to leave the United States for “comprehensive inpatient treatment”, days after he was arrested by federal authorities on suspicion of reckless driving.

 

Woods’s attorney, Douglas Duncan, submitted the request on Wednesday, citing the 50-year-old golfer’s urgent need for an “intensive, highly individualised and medically integrated programme" along with privacy from media and public scrutiny.

 

Martin County Court Judge Darren Steele granted the motion following a teleconference. The judge noted that Woods’s doctor had recommended treatment at an out-of-country facility.

 

“Based upon the defendant’s complex clinical presentation and the urgent need for a level of care that cannot safely or effectively be provided within the United States, as his privacy has been repeatedly compromised,” the judge ruled, adding, “Ongoing medical scrutiny and public exposure create significant barriers to his care and would result in setbacks and an inability to fully engage in treatment.”

 

On Tuesday, Woods posted on social media that he was “stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health".

 

“This is necessary in order for me to prioritise my well-being and work toward lasting recovery,” he said.

 

Four days earlier, Woods was arrested on suspicion of DUI after crashing his SUV into a trailer being pulled by a pickup truck near his Jupiter Island home.

 

He pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to misdemeanour charges of DUI with property damage and refusing to submit to a lawful test.