Golf legend Tiger Woods was arrested early this morning on suspicion of driving under the influence.
Police in Jupiter, Florida say Woods was taken into custody around 3 am and released on his own recognizance a few hours later with no bail.
Woods has yet to comment on the arrest.
A golf prodigy who entered the pro circuit in 1997 at the age of 21, Woods won 14 majors before he turned 32, an accomplishment bested only by Jack Nicklaus.
These days, of course, Woods’ name is synonymous with scandal and disappointment following years of tabloid headlines and a steady decline on the golf course.
Woods has not won a major tournament since the US Open in June of 2008.
In 2010, Woods was caught cheating on Elin Nordegren, and the ugly divorce that followed revealed a side of the golfer that fans no doubt would have preferred remain hidden.
It was gradually revealed that Woods engaged in numerous affairs during his marriage to Nordegren, including several dalliances with adult film stars.
In 2013, Woods began dating Lindsey Vonn, but his relationship with the Olympic skiier also ended abruptly.
Woods has not competed professionally since February, when he was forced to pull out of the Dubai Desert Classic due to injury.
Last month, the 41-year-old underwent back surgery, and his optimistic progress reports had fans eagerly awaiting a comeback.
“I haven’t felt this good in years,” Woods said in a blog post published Wednesday.
“Right now, my sole focus is rehab and doing what the doctors tell me,” he added. “I am concentrating on short-term goals.”
There’s no word yet from the PGA or Woods’ remaining sponsors on how this latest scandal will affect his career and future earnings, but you can bet Team Tiger is in full damage control mode.
Once a shining symbol of hope for a sport that struggled to attract younger fans, Woods has slowly become a walking cautionary tale.
Though he’s weathered some major PR crises in the past, we think even his biggest defenders would agree that this is a man who can scarcely afford another scandal.
We’ll have further updates on this developing story as more information becomes available.