PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Tiger Woods agreed to plead guilty to reckless driving and will enter a diversion program that will allow him to have his record wiped clean if he completes the program, a prosecutor said Wednesday.

Woods, 41, was charged with driving under the influence in May when he was found asleep in his Mercedes-Benz, apparently under the influence of a prescription painkiller and sleeping medication. No alcohol was found in his system.

Woods did not appear at the Palm Beach County courthouse for his arraignment. Prosecutor Adrienne Ellis said the golf superstar agreed to plead guilty at an Oct. 25 hearing and enter the county’s program for first-time DUI offenders.

“He is not being treated any different than anyone else,” Ellis said.

Woods’ attorney, Douglas Duncan, entered a not guilty plea to the DUI charge on Woods’ behalf and declined comment as he left the courthouse.

Under the plea deal, prosecutors would drop the DUI charge, which is a more severe charge than reckless driving. If he completes the program, he can ask a judge to expunge the reckless driving conviction.

Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson will be playing in their 100th major championship this week at the PGA Championship.

Els won his first major in 1994 at the U.S. Open at Oakmont. Mickelson didn’t win his first major until he was 34, at the Masters, and it came at the expense of Els when Mickelson holed an 18-foot birdie putt on the final hole. Els, on the putting green hopeful of a playoff, heard the ground-shaking roar, picked up his golf balls and walked off. He never won a green jacket.

They become the 13th and 14th players to reach 100 majors, a list that starts with Jack Nicklaus and his 164. He is followed by Gary Player, Tom Watson, Arnold Palmer, Raymond Floyd, Sam Snead, Ben Crenshaw, Gene Sarazen, Tom Kite, Mark O’Meara, Bernhard Langer and Nick Faldo, who played his 100th and final major at St. Andrews in the British Open two years ago.


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