By Steve Holland
WASHINGTON, April 1 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday praised Tiger Woods after the golfer said he would seek treatment and focus on his health after facing DUI charges from his rollover crash in Florida last week.
“It’s a good thing that he’s doing, but he’s going to end up being terrific. He’s a great guy,” Trump told Reuters in an interview.
“He’s one of the greatest people I’ve known. He’s a great champion… he’ll be fine,” Trump added. “He’s going to be terrific.”
On Tuesday, Woods announced he was “stepping away” for treatment. The 15-time major champion was arrested last Friday on a charge of driving under the influence after his Land Rover rolled over on a two-lane road near his Jupiter Island home. No one was injured.
His next court appearance was scheduled for May 5.
Trump, an avid golfer who owns a string of golf resorts, last year played with Woods — considered the greatest golfer of his generation — at his club in West Palm Beach, Florida. Last yearr met with Woods in Washington in an effort to resolve a schism in professional golf between the PGA Tour and Saudi-backed upstart LIV Golf.
Last year, Woods announced that he was in a relationship with Vanessa Trump, the ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr.
In 2019, the Republican president awarded Woods the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the nation’s highest civilian honor — during his first term in the White House after the golfer won his fifth Masters title that year.
(Reporting by Steve Holland; writing by Susan Heavey, Editing by Franklin Paul)
