Tiger Woods pleads no contest to reduced charges in Florida car crash

As a result, he will have to pay a $1,500 fine and will have his driver's license suspended for five years.

"The ultimate decision was made to bring closure to the case and to allow Tiger and his family to move on with their lives," Woods' attorney Douglas Duncan told TV station WPBF in West Palm Beach.

The 15-time major golf champion originally pleaded not guilty to a charge of driving under the influence of a controlled substance following a rollover car accident more than six months ago.

After filing a change of plea hearing, Woods was required to appear in court on Wednesday before County Judge Darren Steele.

Appearing in a navy blue suit with his attorney, Douglas Duncan, Woods, 50, entered the no contest plea to charges of willful wanton reckless driving, second offense, and refusal to submit to lawful test.

"Sir, I want you to understand that five years of driving is for the safety of the public. There are no exceptions," Steele said. "If you were to drive for any reason at all, you would go immediately back to jail."

State attorney outlines reasons for plea deal

Standing outside the Martin County courthouse, State Attorney for the 19th Judicial Circuit, Thomas Bakkedahl, explained to reporters the reasons his office agreed to reduced charges in the case.

The primary factor, Bakkedahl said, was the difficulty the state would have in proving Woods was impaired because he refused to submit to a urine test.

"We don't exactly know what was in his bloodstream at the time he was driving," Bakkedahl said, although Woods was found to be in possession of the prescription painkiller hydrocodone.

The state and Woods' attorney consulted with toxicologists, and according to Bakkedahl, "both toxicologists reviewing the evidence revealed there was insufficient proof of impairment," in part because Woods had developed what an expert called a "pharmacological tolerance" to the painkiller as a result of his long-term use.

With that evidence in hand, the state decided to strike a plea deal to fine Woods and take away his driver's license.

"If I can send any message to Mr. Woods," Bakkedahl said, "if anyone in the world should not get behind the wheel of a car, is the gentleman who is one of the most recognizable faces on the planet."

Details of Woods' March arrest

An arrest affidavit at the time of incident alleged Woods failed field sobriety tests conducted by officers at the scene, and law enforcement found two hydrocodone pills in Woods' pocket after the crash. Woods subsequently announced he would "seek treatment and focus on my health."

Woods was reported to have been driving fast on a residential street on Jupiter Island, Florida, near his home on March 27 when he clipped the back of a pressure-washing trailer behind a truck. His SUV flipped and skidded down the street, and he climbed out of the skyward-facing passenger window.

Woods blew a 0.00 on two alcohol breath tests but declined to submit to a urinalysis. Court documents show the 15-time major winner was initially slated to appear in court on Sept. 8 before Wednesday's hearing was put on the docket.

Florida prosecutors said in a state court filing on April 7 they wanted to issue a subpoena seeking copies of "any and all prescription medication on file" for Woods as part of its case. Woods and his attorneys have contested the release of those records.

Woods has a long history of back and leg injuries, and hydrocodone is a prescription opiod drug used to treat severe, chronic pain. When asked by officers if he had taken prescription drugs before the crash, he replied "I take a few," the affidavit said.

Woods has made several brief public appearances in conjunction with the PGA Tour since reportedly returning from a rehabilitation facility in Switzerland in May, but he has not taken any questions or talked in detail about what happened on March 27.