Tiger Woods has sparked concern among golf fans when a clip from his own charity poker event in Las Vegas went viral on social media.
American professional poker player Phil Hellmuth shared footage of the 15-time Major champion at his annual Tiger Jam event at X, praising the TGR Foundation for raising $22 million since 1998.
One of the highlights of the event is Tiger’s Poker Night, which attracts A-list celebrities and familiar faces within the poker world.
Hellmuth, who won a record seventeen World Series of Poker bracelets, caught up with Woods at one point with popular Twitch streamer Ninja to talk about some of his foundation’s accomplishments.
The 48-year-old golfer said without a doubt that TGR’s greatest success comes from the stories that children come back and tell after receiving an education through his foundation.
Fans suggested Tiger Woods looked ‘zooted’ at his own charity event in Sin City last week.
The TGR Foundation, host of an annual poker tournament, has raised $22 million since 1998.
“Suddenly they’re at a thriving university,” he said. “Going to Stanford, Harvard, MIT, Yale and going to incredible places doing incredible things.”
However, the clip raised eyebrows among golf fans, with some suggesting on X that the Hall of Fame golfer had a few drinks.
“Tiger Woods easily got 3 buffs and 7 vodka sodas in this video lmao,” one user shared.
“Tiger is absolutely fired up talking about Mars lmao,” another wrote, while someone else said: “Tiger is pretty fired up.”
Some fans, on the other hand, quickly came to Woods’ defense, evoking his right to privacy and to be free on the night of his big charity event.
‘Are people upset because they are partying in Las Vegas? That?’ noted one X user.
“He’s just living life,” another shared, while someone else said: “Let him enjoy his life.” Do not judge! “His foundation is doing fabulous things.”
The golfer’s fans caused a stir on social media: some believed Woods was drunk while others jumped to his defense.
Woods has had several run-ins with the law due to his past alcohol and drug use.
In 2017, Woods was arrested near his home in Jupiter Island, Florida, for driving under the influence. At the time, he was asleep in his car, which was stopped in a travel lane with the engine running.
He ultimately pleaded guilty to reckless driving and received one year of probation, as well as a $250 fine and a mandatory requirement to undergo 50 hours of community service along with periodic drug testing.
Woods was also not allowed to drink alcohol while on probation, and if he violated his probation he would be sentenced to 90 days in jail with an additional $500 fine.
In 2009, Woods was prescribed Ambien and Vicodin when he crashed his car outside his home in Windermere, Florida, while allegedly having an extramarital affair. Local police ultimately did not press charges after the incident.
Woods attributed that incident and the one in 2017 to the medications he was prescribed, not alcohol, at the time.
Woods was once arrested on a DUI charge in May 2017 near his home on Florida’s Jupiter Island.
After confessing to having multiple affairs with other women while married to ex-wife Elin Nordegren, Woods spent six weeks in a rehab center in Mississippi for sex addiction.
He also checked into a treatment center in Arizona in 2010 after battling addiction to Vicodin and Ambien.
Most recently, in 2021, he survived a serious car accident in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.
It was later reported that Woods was driving at more than 130 km/h, almost double the speed limit, before crashing. However, no other vehicles were involved in the accident and Woods was not breathalyzed at the time as it was believed he was not intoxicated.