Woods faces fine over car prang

Golfer Tiger Woods could be fined $164 (€108) after police found he was to blame for his early morning car crash.

The 33-year-old billionaire will be issued with a careless driving citation and now faces the minor fine and a four-point penalty on his driving licence on conviction, investigators said.

Authorities added that they were not pursuing criminal charges in the matter, nor had there been any claims of domestic violence in relation to the accident.

Woods was left dazed, bloodied and in need of medical attention to cuts to his face after he crashed his car into a fire hydrant and tree outside his home at 2.25am (7.25am Irish time) on Friday.

His wife, Elin Nordegren, 29, told police she used a golf club to smash the back windows of the SUV in a bid to get her injured husband out of the vehicle.

But since the incident there has been growing intrigue over the circumstances leading up to the accident.

It occurred within days of an article printed in the National Enquirer that claimed an involvement between the sportsman and New York nightclub hostess Rachel Uchitel.

The allegation has been denied by both parties. But US gossip websites suggested the report may have led to a domestic dispute between Woods and Ms Nordegren.

Today, cocktail waitress Jaimee Grubbs, 24, claimed she has been having an affair with Woods after allegedly meeting the golfer in a Las Vegas club in April 2007.

Woods has remained tight-lipped about the crash.

Police tried for three days in a row to speak to Woods, but were repeatedly thwarted.

In the only statement made by Woods about the accident, he hit out at the “false, unfounded and malicious rumours” surrounding the incident.

He added: “The only person responsible for the accident is me.

“My wife, Elin, acted courageously when she saw I was hurt and in trouble. She was the first person to help me. Any other assertion is absolutely false.”

The official investigation into the incident agreed Woods was solely responsible for the crash.

In a statement, the Florida Highway Patrol said: “The investigation has determined that Mr Woods is at fault in the crash.

“This was a single vehicle crash, with a single occupant.”

It added that there was no evidence to support additional charges “of any kind”.

The authorities made special reference to there being no claims of domestic violence “by any individual”.

Police said the golfer received lacerations to his upper and lower lip in the crash.

A neighbour who alerted emergency services to the crash described how he found Woods lying on the ground and drifting in and out of consciousness.

Yesterday, the golfer confirmed he was pulling out of a tournament he was due to host this week.