ORLANDO, Florida (AFP) — Tiger Woods will face no criminal charges for crashing outside his Florida mansion, but the world’s number one golfer has beenissued with a careless driving citation, police said yesterday.

    Woods must also pay a US$164 fine and will lose four points from his licence— one third of the total needed in a year to be suspended — but the Florida Highway Patrol investigation into Friday’s crash is now closed.

    There was insufficient evidence for any greater charges and no claims of domestic violence were involved, police spokeswoman Kim Montes said.

    The patrol “is not pursuing criminal charges in this matter nor is there any testimony or evidence to support any charges of any kind other than careless driving,” Montes said.

    Police considered trying to obtain medical records from when Woods was taken to a nearby hospital after his early morning accident, but ultimately did not check to see if his injuries were consistent with those from a crash.

    “It was determined that there was insufficient evidence available to issue a subpoena for any additional medical information

that might exist in this case,” Montes said. “We cannot speak to the existence of any blood evidence.”

    Woods did not provide information to police, something he was not required to do, and has not revealed details surrounding the crash such as where he was going or why he lost control of the vehicle.

    His silence sparked speculation that he was in the vehicle, at 2:25 am, to escape his wife Elin after rowing over reports broke two days earlier of an alleged affair with New York nightclub hostess Rachel Uchitel.

    Both Woods and Uchitel have denied the tabloid press reports.

    “It’s the most ridiculous story. It’s like they are asking me to comment if there are aliens on Earth,” Uchitel told the New York Post.

    Woods struck a fire hydrant and a tree when he lost control of his vehicle just outside his home, enough according to the Florida Highway Patrol to merit a traffic citation.

    “The investigation has determined that Mr Woods is at fault in the crash,” patrol major Cindy Williams said.

    “Any person operating a vehicle is required by law to drive in a careful and

prudent manner so as not to endanger the life, limb or property of any person. Failure to drive in such a manner is defined as careless driving.”