What to expect from Tiger Woods at the Genesis after tour layoff،
PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. – Tiger Woods arrived Tuesday at Riviera Country Club near Los Angeles with a new clothing line, a new caddy and renewed hope that this season will be different from the last three when he was still recovering from serious injuries sustained. in a car accident in February 2021.
Wearing his new Sun Day Red gear, Woods took on Riviera's back nine in a practice round on Tuesday.
He is scheduled to compete in Wednesday morning's pro-am and meet the media later in the day.
This will be the first tournament of his professional career where he does not wear the famous Nike swoosh from head to toe.
On Thursday at the Genesis Invitational, Woods, 48, is scheduled to make his first start in an official PGA Tour tournament in more than 10 months. This will be his first round of competition since finishing 18th in a field of 20 at the Hero World Challenge, an unofficial event, in the Bahamas in December.
Woods' most recent start in an official PGA Tour tournament came at the Masters in April. After being selected, he was forced to withdraw from the first major tournament of the 2023 season in the weather-delayed third round due to severe pain in his right ankle and foot.
The 15-time major winner underwent fusion surgery on April 19 to treat post-traumatic arthritis he suffered in the car crash. This procedure left him sidelined for almost eight months.
After playing 72 holes at the Hero World Challenge, Woods said he was encouraged by how his surgically repaired right ankle and foot held up. He said he “had been pretty much riding it on a string all week” and was encouraged by the fact that he was hitting the center face of his irons. However, he admitted his short game needs work.
Woods said he was inspired enough to believe he could play one tournament a month this season, including The Players in March, the Masters in April, the PGA Championship in May, the U.S. Open in June and the Open in July.
“I think I can get into the rhythm,” Woods said in the Bahamas. “I think having a few weeks off to recover, a week to develop, there's no reason why I can't keep up that pace. It's just a matter of getting in shape, basically . I feel like my game isn't good.” It’s a long way off, but I need to get in better shape.”
Let's get back to it 💪@Tiger Woods is in progress @TheGenesisInv. pic.twitter.com/V6vlYKGKG1
– PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 13, 2024
Woods will play the first and second rounds of the Genesis with good friends Justin Thomas and Gary Woodland. This is the fifth consecutive time he will play with Thomas in the opening rounds at Riviera. The trio will start at 12:25 p.m. ET on Thursday and 2:54 p.m. ET on Friday at Riviera.
Woods' influence and larger-than-life personality are perhaps no more evident than at this tournament every year. He helps select the Charlie Sifford Memorial sponsor exemption each year, usually given to a promising young player. This year, recipient Chase Johnson spoke at length about Woods' impact on him.
“He's my idol. I grew up playing Tiger Woods video games and everything,” Johnson said. “I always wanted to play against him. Everyone from my generation does. Everyone from every generation wants to.”
It's not just young players who seem to feel this way. Canadian golfer Nick Taylor, who won last week's PGA Tour event at the Waste Management Open, said he had never met or played with Woods but hoped to one day.
“There were several times where I was very close to being paired with him,” Taylor said. “I hope he continues to play as much as he can to make this scenario come true.”
The Genesis, which benefits Woods' TGR Foundation, was the only official PGA Tour event in which he played 72 holes last season. After posting a 2-under 69 in the first round, Woods made bogeys on three of his final four holes in the second round for a 3-over 74. He made the cut on the number and finished at tied for 45th with a total of 72 holes. 1-under 283.
Longtime caddy Lance Bennett will carry Woods' bag this week. Bennett has previously worked with PGA Tour players Matt Kuchar, Sungjae Im and Davis Riley, as well as LPGA legend Lorena Ochoa.
This season, Bennett is working for PGA Tour rookie Belgian Adrien Dumont de Chassart. Dumont de Chassart, the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour Rookie of the Year, did not qualify for the Genesis peloton. It is unclear whether Bennett will continue to work with Woods on potential departures later this season.
“It’s exciting,” Kuchar said of Bennett. “I'm really, really happy for him, happy for Tiger. What a great opportunity, right? I mean, it's just awesome. Lance and I have been going back for a long time. For me, it's It's a strange little world here, golfers and caddies, but I can't wait to see how it goes.”
Woods' newest full-time caddy, Joe LaCava, now works with Patrick Cantlay. LaCava helped Woods win his 15th major championship at the 2019 Masters.
Kuchar said carrying Woods' bag would lead to increased responsibilities for Bennett.
“The tiger is a unique creature when it comes to attention and everything that happens to it,” Kuchar said. “I'm a low-maintenance guy. I think Tiger Woods' job comes with a lot more responsibilities and duties, and I think Lance can definitely handle them. I hope things go well.”
Woods' longtime friend and business partner Rob McNamara carried his bag at the Hero World Challenge. Woods' daughter, Sam, was his caddy when he played with his son, Charlie, at the PNC Championship in December.
Woods' most recent PGA Tour top 10 finish came at the 2020 Farmers Insurance Open. He needs one more win to break the tie with Sam Snead for the most wins in history on the PGA Tour with 83. His last victory on tour came at the 2019 Zozo Championship.
