Tiger Woods deals with back spasms, cards 72 at Genesis Invitational،
PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. – A reporter wouldn't mention golf's most feared five-letter word when he asked Tiger Woods about his penultimate swing during the opening round of the Genesis Invitational on Thursday.
The 15-time major champion said it for himself.
“Oh, definitely, I planted it,” Woods said.
Woods, making his debut in the 2024 season and his first start in an official PGA Tour event since the Masters in April, said he suffered back spasms during the final holes at Riviera Country Club.
When Woods tried to hit an 8-iron from the right side of the 18th fairway, his back locked up. His ball flew straight into a eucalyptus tree and stopped behind four trees.
“Well, my back was spasming the last couple holes and it was locking up,” Woods said. “I went down and it didn't move, and I presented [the] I first made a pipe and tightened it.”
Somehow, Woods got his third shot onto the green. He made two putts for bogey. It was a disappointing end to the round, leaving him at 1-over 72. He was tied for 49th, eight shots behind first-round leader Patrick Cantlay.
Woods has work to do Friday if he wants to play on the weekend. In the third marquee event of the PGA Tour season, the top 50 scores and ties will be selected over 36 holes, as will any player within 10 shots of the leader.
Woods made five birdies and six bogeys. He posted a 1-under 34 at the front, but then had bogeys on two of the first three holes at the back. He made another bogey at the par-4 15th before missing the final hole. He described his first round as “a lot of good and a lot of indifference.”
“It was one or the other,” Woods said. “I don't know how many pars I made, it wasn't a lot. I was making birdies or bogeys and I never really managed to get anything consistent today.”
Thursday's round was Woods' first competition since finishing 18th in a 20-player field at the Hero World Challenge, an unofficial event held in the Bahamas in December.
Not surprisingly, most of his game looked rusty. He hit eight of 14 fairways and 10 of 18 greens. He averaged 290.7 yards off the tee. He needed 30 putts and lost almost two strokes in total.
“I struggled with the speed of the greens,” Woods said. “I couldn't believe how fast they were today, even though I made a few. I ran a group by the hole today, it was very stressful. But the golf course is in such perfect condition. Considering the amount of rain they've gotten, getting the golf course this quickly is pretty impressive.
Woods, 48, underwent fusion surgery on April 19 to treat post-traumatic arthritis he suffered in a car accident not far from Riviera Country Club in February 2021. The procedure left him sidelined for almost eight months. Woods said he was experiencing back spasms at home, but it was the first time in a competitive round in a while. After Thursday's round, Woods said his right foot felt good, but his leg was sore.
“Things are a little painful, but that’s normal,” Woods said. “It’s nothing we weren’t prepared for, and we have work to do tonight and tomorrow.”
Because Woods plays very little competitive golf, he is not in the habit of adjusting his swing and putting during rounds. He only competed in five official events in the previous two seasons combined, playing 72 holes in just two of them. He was able to narrow it down and tied for 45th at the Genesis Invitational last year.
“I'm going to be rusty and I need to do a better job preparing at home,” Woods said. “We need to do a better job of lifting and treating and continuing rehab protocols, all those things. I just haven't done it in a while.”
Woods will tee off at 2:54 p.m. ET Friday at Riviera.
