Yes, there was no alcohol. Yes, there was no illicit drugs.

There is nothing Tiger Woods can be blamed for after his car accident except the simple, undeniable facts: he has undergone several major surgeries in recent years, he is still not fully healed, and he has been struggling for over a year just to return to competitive golf.

Woods is genuinely in serious, chronic pain. He is taking prescribed medication to manage that pain — and that has nothing to do with addiction or recreational drugs.

Tiger Woods in action at the recent TGL shootout. Image TGL

I personally know many people who have had multiple surgeries and who have taken the equivalent of truckloads of painkillers. I have lived with them. I have witnessed their daily struggle — the kind of pain that makes it almost impossible to get out of bed or even into a car. Such chronic pain is genuinely disabling. It affects everything, including the ability to drive safely. No one should be blamed for seeking relief from that level of suffering.

Doctors prescribe these medications because they are the only things that work. Yes, many of them come with heavy side effects — drowsiness, impaired reaction time, and more. So let me ask you directly:

– Is it the doctor’s fault?
– Is it the pharmacist’s fault?
– Is it Tiger Woods’ fault?

Medications treat the illness or the pain, but in the meantime they can have serious side effects. Who exactly is responsible when those side effects become dangerous?

I have a family member who has been taking blood-pressure medication for years. The medicine successfully stabilized his blood pressure — but one of the side effects nearly destroyed his eyesight. He almost went blind. Who do we blame in that situation?

A second image of Tiger at the recent TGL shootout. Image TGL

My dear colleagues and friends, let me tell you that what Tiger Woods did at TGL with his team is incredible. I was there for almost every single match they played. I recorded every single move from him and his work with the team. He was so courageous — even when not playing on the course, he was fully involved and committed 100% with his team. He walked with them, stood for hours on end, really putting his physical limits to the test. Maybe he needed some pain relief before the last TGL match on Tuesday, but as you know, he was incredibly supportive and behind his team, Jupiter Links, the entire time.

If you are a rational thinker, you will understand this: Tiger Woods’ accident was not caused by his “normal” state of mind. It was caused by the powerful side effects of the legitimate pain medication he was prescribed to deal with injuries that are not his fault.

Doctors need to review his case immediately. They need to find better alternatives — medications that relieve the pain without the dangerous side effects that can put a person’s life (and others’) at risk.

Tiger Woods is a normal human being who has sacrificed his body for the game he loves. He deserves understanding, not judgment. Pain is real. Side effects are real. Compassion costs nothing. Let’s stop the blame game and start demanding better solutions for athletes — and for every person living with chronic pain.