Dressed up in a black t-shirt and grey shorts, he was walking away after stepping down from his jet. His Gulfstream G550 jet departed Zurich Airport around 2 PM local time on May 13. It touched down in Palm Beach by 3:30 PM Pacific Time.
This was following a stay at an exclusive rehab center focused on pain management without opioids. After his rollover crash on March 27, 2026, law enforcers found two hydrocodone pills in his pocket, which led to his DUI arrest. However, he pleaded not guilty and requested international travel for privacy reasons. So, he entered this Swiss facility.
Reportedly, the program that he was in takes up to 90 days. As he is back after just over 40 days, does it mean he completed the program early, and is he back to optimal health? Or is he here due to concerns following the recent court ruling?
#ARRIVAL — Tiger Woods was pictured for the first time after arriving back in Florida last night following a 6-week stay at a rehab facility in Switzerland. Wishing nothing but the best for TW.
(
: @TMZ_Sports) pic.twitter.com/docIQHmKAm
— TWLEGION (@TWlegion) May 14, 2026
On May 12, 2026, Martin County Circuit Court Judge Darren Steele granted permission in favor of prosecutors. Despite privacy objections, they received permission to access Woods’s prescription records. They could now access details from January to March 2026 from a Palm Beach pharmacy. This includes information on dosages and warnings. A protective order limits viewing to prosecutors, law enforcement experts, and the defense. Thus, the records remain confidential from the public.
His absence from the golf course is nothing new. There have been many scenarios where he was on a golf hiatus, such as his 2009 crash, 2021 accident, his father Earl’s death, and more.
After his statement on April 1, 2026, he didn’t post anything on social media and never interacted with anyone from the golf world. In fact, he reportedly downsized his staff, too.
Tiger Woods and Vanessa Trump reportedly fired staff amid fears of media leaks
Tiger Woods wanted complete privacy during his rehabilitation. That’s what he requested of of everyone when he gave his official statement about stepping away from the media.
However, he and his girlfriend, Vanessa Trump, were still worried about media leaks from their staff. Therefore, they dismissed select employees from their already small team, as reported by Page Six.
“It’s not a big staff. They’re paranoid of leaks, and she hates the press,” Page Six’s source said.
The actions aimed to tighten privacy after his DUI arrest. And the reason behind all this could be the hatred Tiger Woods faced this time. Since it was not his first DUI arrest, the backlash was pretty intense compared to anything he had faced in the past.
Fans, media, and even some fellow professionals were asking for his arrest. For instance, Stephen A. Smith argued that Tiger Woods should not receive the privacy protections he requested.
The intense reaction surrounding Tiger Woods’ latest arrest also explains why he went completely silent during his rehab stay. Now, with him finally back in Florida and fresh legal developments continuing to unfold, attention around his next move is only growing stronger.
