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Tiger Woods 'gets professional help' to tackle addiction to prescription drugs
Tiger Woods says he has sought "professional help" to deal with his medications after he was found asleep behind the wheel of his running car.
Woods, 41, was arrested in the early hours of 29 May, slumped at the wheel of his car with the engine running near his Florida home.
He was described by police as “very dopey”, struggling to keep his eyes open and walk or speak.
He tested negative for alcohol but told police he had taken the sedative medication Xanax, in addition to later admitting at a testing facility he was also taking the powerful painkiller Vicodin.
The former world number one had surgery on his back earlier in the year, and is struggling to recover.
On Monday he said: "I'm currently receiving professional help to manage my medications and the ways that I deal with back pain and a sleep disorder.
"I want to thank everyone for the amazing outpouring of support and understanding, especially the fans and players on tour."
In a bid to retain joint custody of his daughter Sam, nine, and eight-year-old son, Charlie, the golfer has reportedly agreed to attend a 28-day course of treatment at a centre near his Jupiter home.
“Tiger visited the hospital with his children on June 2, then went alone two days later to complete paperwork and his assessment,” a source told gossip site Radar Online last week.
The site reported that the rehab was to avoid triggering a clause in his custody agreement with Elin Nordgren, his ex wife, which states that he could face losing the 20 per cent custody he currently has, if he is “caught up in a scandal”.
The site reported he had booked out the entire male inpatient wing of the facility.
Jupiter Medical Center did not respond to The Telegraph's request for comment.
Woods has been in rehab before.
In 2010 he entered The Meadows treatment center in Wickburg, Arizona, to battle addictions to Vicodin and the sleeping medication Ambien.
He had previously been treated for sex addiction, spending six weeks at the Gentle Path centre in Mississippi. He was forced into treatment after his affair with a New York City nightclub hostess was exposed in late 2009 — leading to a procession of mistresses to come forward.