Tiger Woods’ private jet is reportedly flying back to the United States, 40 days after the golf legend left for a rehabilitation clinic in Switzerland.
Flight tracking data indicates that his luxury Gulfstream G550 departed Zurich Airport on Wednesday afternoon local time, just hours before the PGA Championship teed off near Philadelphia. Woods is not playing in the year’s second major tournament and it remains unclear where exactly the aircraft will land or whether Woods is on board. The flight comes days after the jet reportedly travelled from Florida to Zurich.
Rehabilitation and legal proceedings
Woods, 50, has been undergoing what a source described as “intense treatment” at a Swiss facility. The programme is reportedly 90 days long, though he is said to be able to leave whenever he wishes. According to a person familiar with the situation, he is working with a pain management doctor to address his physical ailments without addictive opioids. The same source said Woods is “responding well to treatment” and that his girlfriend, Vanessa Trump, is encouraged by his progress. During his stay, Woods is said to be keeping in contact with a small circle: Vanessa Trump, his children, and his agent, Mark Steinberg — mainly by phone and video calls.
Woods’s attorney has stated that the recommendation for out-of-country treatment was driven by his “complex clinical presentation and the urgent need for a level of care that cannot safely or effectively be done within the United States, as his privacy has been repeatedly compromised”.
The reason for his stay in Switzerland is directly linked to his arrest on March 27 on suspicion of driving under the influence in Jupiter Island, Florida. According to a sheriff’s office report, Woods was travelling at high speed on a beachside residential road with a 30 mph limit when his Land Rover clipped a truck and trailer, causing $5,000 in damage, before flipping onto its side. Deputies found two hydrocodone pills in his pocket, and Woods stated he was taking “a few” prescription medications. He agreed to a breathalyzer test, which showed no alcohol, but refused a urine test. Authorities said he showed signs of impairment at the scene.
Woods has pleaded not guilty to charges of driving under the influence, as well as refusal to submit to a lawful test. Earlier this week, a Florida judge ruled that prosecutors can access his prescription drug records as part of the case. Both sides agreed on a protective order that keeps those records from public view. The prosecution aims to establish whether Woods was advised not to drive while taking prescription medicine for his ongoing ailments. Woods’s attorney, Douglas Duncan, had argued for limiting access to the records, citing his client’s right to medical privacy. The verdict was reached after a brief hearing in Martin County; Woods was not present because he is in Switzerland.
This year alone, Woods has undergone surgery for a torn Achilles tendon followed by a seventh back procedure — a lumbar disc replacement in October 2025, according to medical records cited in court filings.
A history of driving incidents
This is the fourth time Woods has been in trouble behind the wheel. In May 2017, he was arrested for a DUI after police found him slumped in his car in Florida. He later pleaded guilty to reckless driving; at the time, five drugs were found in his system, including two painkillers.
In November 2009, he crashed his SUV into a fire hydrant and a tree outside his Florida home while trying to flee after his then-wife, Elin Nordegren, discovered his extramarital affairs.
More recently, in February 2021, Woods was involved in a serious single-vehicle rollover crash in California, shattering his right leg and trapping him under the vehicle. He required multiple surgeries to recover. Authorities said he was travelling at high speed but found no evidence of impairment, and no charges were filed.
Support and boundaries
Vanessa Trump, the ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr., has been in a relationship with Woods for approximately 18 months. A source said she was “adamant he needed thorough professional help and wouldn’t stand for history repeating itself”. Reports suggest she has set clear boundaries, describing this as a “one-time commitment” to support him. Meanwhile, other sources indicate Woods is using his time in rehab for self-reflection and may be reassessing the relationship.
