Tiger Woods’ DUI arrest on March 27, 2026, has been stirring controversy upon controversy. The golf world is now divided into two camps: one that supports the Big Cat and the other that demands he be more responsible. This same conversation led to a fiery ESPN segment, which took the blame to his closest allies, too, including Justin Thomas.
“I’m going to blame the golf people here, too. He’s got a lot of golf. Justin Thomas is his best friend. A lot of these golfers, you know, I adore Tiger. I do this. The golf media. How about somebody, his agent? How about somebody in the last 15 years, say, Tiger, enough of this nonsense, okay?” said ESPN analyst Chris Russo.
“Instead of genuflecting in front of Tiger because he’s an all-time great golfer and you don’t want to get on Tiger’s bad side, how about somebody in the sport in the last 10 years put a stop to this? Take the keys away. Tiger, enough, because the next funeral is going to be his or somebody else’s that we’re going to have to go to. He’s lucky he didn’t kill somebody here.”
“I’m gonna blame the golf people here too. Justin Thomas is his best friend…the golf media, his agent, how about somebody in the last 15 years say, ‘Tiger, enough of this nonsense’ instead of genuflecting in front of Tiger” – Chris Russo pic.twitter.com/O2HVyLiwKX
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 1, 2026
Tiger Woods was near his house, trying to overtake a cleaning vehicle on a residential road in Florida, when his Land Rover flipped over on its side. He had to come out of the window. When the law enforcement officers arrived on the scene, they saw him impaired. They asked Woods for a urine test, but he refused. This led to his arrest, though he was out on bail after staying 8 hours in jail.
Chris Russo is questioning individuals and organizations who are genuflecting before Tiger Woods. Russo feels all these people, including Justin Thomas, could have prevented the disaster.
Tiger Woods and Justin Thomas are close. Their brotherly friendship is built on mutual respect, banter, and shared proximity in Florida since Thomas turned pro in 2013. The 50-year-old even calls Thomas “the younger brother I never had.” On the other hand, the 16x PGA Tour winner views him as a blunt mentor.
The two met through Rickie Fowler and have shared many practice rounds, sports watching, and family moments, as both live in Jupiter, Florida.
Russo thinks Justin Thomas should have done something. The ESPN analysts say that the 16-time PGA Tour winner and others close to Tiger Woods don’t tell him anything because they don’t want to get on his bad side.
But Russo is not the only one who has blamed Thomas and others closely associated with the Big Cat. There are many more who believe that the golf world should have done something.
Brendan Porath blames TGL and the PGA Tour for Tiger Woods’ DUI arrest
Although Brendan Porath was not as blunt as Chris Russo, he, too, blamed TGL, the PGA Tour, and others closely associated with the 82x PGA Tour winner for not stopping him.
The same goes for the PGA Tour as well. Although Tiger Woods is leading the Future Competitions Committee, he feels it consumes a lot of his time and energy. It was also the reason behind Tiger Woods declining the captaincy of the 2025 Ryder Cup.
Criticism from voices like Brendan Porath adds another layer to the debate. It shifts focus from Tiger Woods’ inner circle to the broader ecosystem that continues to rely on his presence. Together with Chris Russo’s pointed remarks, the situation highlights growing scrutiny over whether those closest to Tiger Woods are to blame for the incident.
