ORLANDO: Tiger Woods will face no criminal charges for crashing outside his Florida mansion but the world No 1 golfer has been issued with a careless driving citation, police said on Tuesday.

Woods must also pay a $164 fine and lose four points from his license — a third of the total needed in a year to be suspended — but the Florida Highway Patrol investigation into Friday’s crash is now closed, police announced. Spokeswoman Kim Montes said there was insufficient evidence for any greater charges and no claims of domestic violence were involved in the November 27 incident, which remained shrouded in mystery and speculation.

Woods struck a fire hydrant and a tree when he lost control of his vehicle just outside his home,

far enough from the house to merit a traffic citation. “The investigation has determined that Mr Woods is at fault in the crash,” patrol major Cindy Williams said. Woods did not provide information to police, something he was not required to do under Florida law, and has not revealed details surrounding the crash such as where he was going or why he lost control of the vehicle.

His silence fueled speculation surrounding media reports

that Woods was in the vehicle

to escape his wife Elin after

the two argued about a tabloid newspaper story that he had an affair with New York night club 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 in an interview published on Tuesday. But rumors continued to unfold around Woods as his mansion became a bunker, and not the type an errant golf shot might find.