Tiger Woods’ driving under the influence arrest could cost him MILLIONS if he is dropped by sponsors like Nike and Rolex
The 14-time Major winner was stopped by cops in Florida who reportedly said the golfer acted 'arrogantly' when he was detained
TIGER Woods could lose over £15million a year in sponsorship following his embarrassing arrest for driving under the influence.
The former golfing superstar was sensationally stopped by cops near his home in Florida on suspicion of drink-driving at around 3am local time on Monday.
That sizeable annual income includes his long-standing relationship with sportswear giant Nike in which he cashes an astonishing £15million cheque every year despite not winning a professional tournament since 2013.
Other brands which have stuck with Tiger following the acrimonious end of his marriage and subsequent loss of form are luxury watchmakers Rolex, Bridgestone Golf, Japanese pharmaceutical company Kowa and Indian motorcycle maker Hero.
Counting the cost: Tiger's current sponsorship deals
Nike – one of the most lucrative relationships in sports history, Tiger signed with the US company in 1996 and has helped front Nike’s Golf division ever since.
TaylorMade Golf – when Nike decided to stop making clubs, Tiger signed with golf equipment giant Taylor Made in January 2017.
Bridgestone Golf – the 14-time Major winner has a £1.5 million deal to exclusively use the company’s golf balls.
Hero Motor Group – Tiger is paid a staggering £6million per year by the Indian motorcycle company.
Rolex – like most top golfers, Tiger has a deal with a luxury watchmaker
Kowa – the 41-year-old features in TV commercials for the Japanese pharmaceutical company.
Upper Deck – the US athlete has an undisclosed deal with the sports cards and collectibles company.
One of the golfer’s former mistresses, Coris Rist, came to his defence when news of his arrest broke.
The blond-haired model, who had a six month affair with Tiger in 2006, reportedly said that the news was “kind of sad” and he “was going through a difficult time.”
Prison records show Woods was held at the Palm Beach County jail at 7.18am.
He was released after nearly eight hours in custody at 10.50am local time.
A mugshot has also been released showing the star in a white shirt staring blankly at the camera.
He was charged with Driving Under the Influence (DUI), police records show.
This is the second time Woods has been caught driving under the influence.
The dad of two apologised last night but said he hadn’t been drinking, it was a bad reaction to prescription drugs.
He said in a statement: “I understand the severity of what I did and I take full responsibility for my actions.
“Alcohol was not involved. What happened was an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications. I didn’t realise the mix of medications had affected me so strongly.
“I would like to apologise with all my heart to my family, friends and the fans. I expect more from myself too.”
It comes just days after the golfer said he had not felt "this good in years" as he recovered from his fourth back operation.
Woods said on Thursday: "It's been just over a month since I underwent fusion surgery on my back and it is hard to express how much better I feel.
"It was instant nerve relief. I haven't felt this good in years."
He added that his return to top flight golf was "just a matter of not screwing it up".
On his website, Woods wrote: "I want to play professional golf again but 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."
“Alcohol was not involved. What happened was an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications. I didn’t realise the mix of medications had affected me so strongly.
Woods has struggled to return to top form since taking a year off in 2009 when he admitted cheating on his then wife Elin Nordegren with several women.
In a public apology, the dad-of-two said he needed professional help and planned to undergo further therapy.
Two days after the first allegations emerged, Woods crashed his plush Cadillac car outside his home and he was handed a ticket for careless driving.
He later apologised for his actions, saying “I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to” and then the couple divorced in August 2010.
Woods took a career break after he lost several sponsors over the scandal.
He has missed all the major tournaments for the past two years thanks to a back injury
The American golfer dropped to 876th in the world rankings and has not won a tournament since 2013.
He has not taken part competitively since pulling out of the Dubai Desert Classic in February after one round because of back pain.
His manager Mark Steinberg dismissed fears at the time that Woods’ career could be over.
He said: “He’s not done.” But he could not say when the star would be fit again.
Rise and fall of the golf king who fans adored
1978: Shows off golf skills on TV at age two.
1984: Wins Junior World Golf Championship. He goes on to triumph four more times.
1997: Youngest winner of US Masters at Augusta with record score.
1999: Wins his first PGA Championship.
JUNE 2000: Wins first US Open by a record 15 shots.
JULY 2000: Wins his first Open Championship at St Andrews.
AUGUST 2000: Second PGA Championship.
2001: Second Masters at Augusta, followed by third in 2002.
JUNE 2008: Last major win, in California. It was his third US Open Championship.
NOVEMBER 2009: Crashes car into hydrant.
DECEMBER 2009: Flurry of revelations by women he had flings with. Woods apologises for infidelity and announces “indefinite break” from golf.
2010: Returns to sport but dogged by injury.
2013: Wins five tournaments and is named the PGA Tour Player of the Year for 11th time.
2014: Back injury wrecks his comeback.
2015: Continues to struggle. Finishes 17th in Masters.
MAY 2017: Drink-drive arrest in Florida.
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