Woods likely to skip court hearing

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Bengaluru, August 8: Former world No. 1 golfer Tiger Woods, arrested in May on a charge of driving under the influence will not appear in court on Wednesday when his case comes up for hearing after his lawyer waived his appearance at pre-trial hearings.

If convicted on the misdemeanour DUI charge, Woods could face up to six months in prison. He could also plead guilty to a lesser charge of reckless driving and enroll in a 12-month programme that would let him avoid a DUI conviction.

If Woods had agreed to attend the hearing he would have had to plead guilty to reckless driving and receive a year's probation.

He would also have had to pay a $250 fine and court costs, attend DUI school, perform 50 hours of community service and attend a workshop where victims of impaired drivers detail how their lives were damaged. He also would have also been subject to random drug and alcohol testing and other conditions.

Woods' lawyer, Douglas Duncan, did not respond to requests for comment ahead of the hearing.

The 14-time major champion has hardly played during the past two years after undergoing multiple back surgeries.

Woods was arrested on May 29 about 15 miles from his home in Jupiter, Florida, when officers found him unconscious in his Mercedes-Benz, which was parked awkwardly on the side of the road and had damage to the driver's side.