By Randi Kaye, Holly Yan, Elizabeth Wolfe and Emily Goodwin

Stuart, Florida (CNN) — Tiger Woods entered a Florida courtroom Wednesday charged with driving under the influence and left with a plea deal after prosecutors described an “erosion of evidence” in the latest legal case involving the golf legend.

Woods, 50, initially pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges of DUI and refusal to submit to testing after a March rollover crash in Martin County, not far from his home.

But as the investigation progressed, the local prosecutors’ office found no evidence of impairment to warrant prosecution for DUI, State Attorney Thomas Bakkedahl said shortly after Woods’ change-of-plea hearing.

So, Woods and the state reached a plea deal, with Woods pleading no contest to a reduced charge of willful reckless driving. A “no contest” plea is “effectively the same thing” as a guilty plea, Bakkedahl said. However, a no contest plea generally can’t be used against a defendant in a civil case.

Woods’ driver’s license will be suspended for the next five years, and he must pay about $2,000 in fines, court documents show.

“For the safety of the public, if you drive, you will immediately go back to jail,” state Judge Darren Steele told Woods.

Woods spoke very little during the five-minute, televised hearing, simply responding “yes” to the judge’s questions about the plea agreement. His girlfriend, Vanessa Trump – the president’s former daughter-in-law – sat behind him in the courtroom, and the two chatted before the judge entered.

The hearing marked yet another challenge apart from golf for the 15-time major champion, who has faced a handful of vehicle-related incidents as he’s tried to rebound following years of injuries.

Those injuries would be mentioned by the state attorney during his explanation of why the DUI charge fell apart.

A ‘significant deterioration of the proof’ in this case

While many people associate DUIs with drunk driving, “In this case, it’s driving under the influence of a controlled substance,” Bakkedahl said, emphasizing the final words. And that makes it more difficult to prove “from a prosecution perspective and a proof perspective.”

Woods had a documented history of injuries and a prescription for hydrocodone, a federally controlled opioid painkiller, the state attorney said. Woods told an officer at the scene he had taken hydrocodone earlier in the day and also had pills in his pocket, Bakkedahl said.

To prosecute a DUI charge, the state would need to prove the controlled substance impaired Woods’ ability to function normally. While a field officer noted Woods seemed to have an unsteady walk, it’s difficult to prove that wasn’t because of Woods’ injuries, Bakkedahl said.

The officer said the pupils of Woods’ eyes appeared to be dilated, but dilated pupils are not a sign or symptom of using hydrocodone, Bakkedahl said.

Woods did refuse a urine test, so investigators will never know what was in his system at the time of the crash, Bakkedahl said. He also pleaded no contest to refusing to take the test.

“However, we have some other evidence we can rely on,” the state attorney said.

Two forensic toxicologists reviewed the evidence and circumstances of the case and determined there was insufficient proof that Woods’ use of a controlled substance impaired him, Bakkedahl said. In fact, one of the experts suggested Woods had actually developed a “pharmalogical tolerance” to the hydrocodone, meaning it no longer impacts his system like it once did.

The totality of facts – and the accusations the prosecution couldn’t prove – resulted in “a significant deterioration of the proof” in this case, he said.

Another crash in a difficult cycle

Though Woods walked away unscathed from the March crash, it hurled the sports legend into a now-familiar cycle of public crash-outs and emotional comebacks.

Woods’ Land Rover crossed over double solid lines on a residential street and “maneuvered around” another vehicle with an attached trailer, the affidavit said. Woods’ vehicle struck the trailer, causing his SUV to flip onto its driver’s side, the affidavit said.

The other driver helped Woods climb out of his passenger side while the Land Rover lay overturned, the affidavit said.

Woods told a deputy he had not seen the other vehicle slowing down because he was looking at his cell phone and changing the radio station, according to the affidavit.

No alcohol was detected in a breath test taken by Woods at the Martin County Jail, the affidavit said. But Woods refused to participate in a urine test that could have helped determine whether he had consumed chemical or controlled substances.

“I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in today,” Woods said in a statement following his arrest. He announced he would step away “to seek treatment and focus on my health,” a decision necessary for him to “work toward lasting recovery.”

Since 2009, Woods has been involved in several vehicular incidents, including a careless driving citation and a serious rollover that left him with severe injuries and a long path to rehabilitation.

His reputation also had to recover from a 2017 incident that bore some similarities to today’s case.

In that case, Woods pleaded guilty to reckless driving after he was arrested in Florida under suspicion of driving under the influence. A toxicology report found he had pain, anxiety and sleeping medications, along with THC – a compound found in marijuana – in his system. As part of a plea deal, Woods attended a DUI first-offender program.

After more than a year away from competitive golf, Woods briefly competed this March at the TGL Finals tournament. Speculation he may have been readying for a sensational Masters return in April was scrapped after his latest car crash.

Woods on Sunday congratulated PGA Tour golfer Scottie Scheffler, who won the Tour Championship, claiming a second FedEx Cup title and surpassing Woods for the most PGA Tour career earnings.

“Three wins, five runner-ups and finishing the season No. 1. Those are some numbers to be proud of,” Woods posted on X. “Incredible consistency all season long. Congrats on a historic season, Scottie.”

CNN’s David Close, Vivian Kuo, Meridith Edwards and Andy Rose contributed to this reporting.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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