Jack Nicklaus has leant his shoulder to Tiger Woods as more details emerge of his arrest for driving under the influence this week in Florida.
Nicklaus said he would always support the former world No. 1. "I feel bad for Tiger," Nicklaus said Tuesday during his press conference at the Memorial Tournament. "Tiger's a friend. He's been great for the game of golf. He needs our help. I wish him well."
Pressed further, Nicklaus said he wanted to help. "I'm a friend of Tiger's," Nicklaus said. "I feel bad for him. He's struggling … He needs support from a lot of people. I'll be one of them."
Florida state police revealed today that Woods had returned a 0.00 blood-alcohol test after he was picked up in a damaged Mercedes near his home in Jupiter, Florida. However a local newspaper reported that he had prescriptions for four pain-killing medications — listed as Soloxex Vicodin, Torix (likely to be a misspelling of Turox) and Vioxx.
Woods said after the arrest that he had suffered an "unexpected reaction'' to medication. He has been recovering from a back surgery, and was tipped to resume playing late this year.
Police have said that Woods was found asleep at the wheel, and parked beside a road in an awkward fashion. There was damage to the car and the golfer was unsteady on his feet when asked to step out of the vehicle, telling them that he had no idea where he was. At one point, he told police that he was driving from 'LA' (Los Angeles, which is on the west coast of the USA).
Greg Norman expressed sympathy today. "I cannot comment on what Tiger is going through and all I can comment is on my own observations”, said Norman. “I actually feel sorry for him. There is nothing worse in life and seeing someone in a dark place. For Tiger, well to step back and look and look at the virtues of life and the value of life, I hope he does get back and I hope he does get better.
“It is a lonely place, and it has to be. But then I don’t know if Tiger is in a lonely place and it has to be if you are putting yourself in a situation like that. “But then I really do not know him, at all. He lives about three-quarters of a mile from me but I don’t ever see him but at the end of the day you feel for him, and I think everyone feels for him right now and that is especially in our world of sport.
“The thing is also the locker rooms in golf are a tight fraternity and whether you think you know the guy or you don’t know the guy or whether it is your best friend, you still have to feel sorry for Tiger”.