Tiger Woods withdraws during Round 2 of Genesis due to illness

LOS ANGELES — Tiger Woods withdrew from the second round of the Genesis Invitational Friday due to illness.

Woods withdrew from the tournament after hitting his tee shot on the seventh hole at Riviera Country Club. He was taken off the course in a golf cart driven by a tournament official. At one point, Woods put his head in his hands in frustration.

Rob McNamara, Woods' good friend and executive vice president of TGR Ventures, said in a statement that Woods began experiencing flu-like symptoms Thursday evening. Friday morning was even worse. He was treated by Riviera doctors.

“He had a little bit of a fever, and it was better in the warmup,” McNamara said. “But then when he came out and was walking and playing, he started feeling dizzy. Ultimately, the doctors say he potentially had some kind of flu and was dehydrated. He got been treated with an IV bag and he's doing much, much better.”

McNamara said Woods' back, which he struggled with in Thursday's first round, was “fine.”

“It was just illness, dehydration, and now the symptoms are reversing now that he's had an IV,” McNamara said.

After Woods was removed from the course, two fire trucks and an ambulance from the Pacific Palisades Fire Department arrived in Riviera just before 2 p.m. PT after a 911 call was made for no IV was not available on site, sources told ESPN. First responders spent more than 30 minutes inside before coming out and leaving the property.

At 3:43 p.m. PT, Woods left the Riviera men's locker room, quickly entered a car driven by his security guard and left the field.

Woods battled back spasms in Thursday's first round and appeared to have more back problems Friday. The 15-time major champion has undergone five back surgeries during his career.

Woods was making his first start in an official PGA Tour event since withdrawing from a rain-delayed third round at the Masters in April. He was 1 after six holes in the second round Thursday and 2 for the tournament. The cup ended up being finished at 1.

It was a disappointing result for Woods, who was playing in his first official PGA Tour event in more than 10 months, an event he organizes and which benefits his foundation. As Woods, 48, neared the end of the front nine, a few hundred fans waited for him on the ninth green. It never arrived. After Woods' withdrawal was announced, fans began heading toward the exits.

Gary Woodland said Woods “didn't look good” before the group even teeed off Friday.

“Obviously he wasn't himself,” said Woodland, who was paired with Woods and Justin Thomas for the first two rounds. “It sucks. Everything is better with him there. For him, it's his first tournament back, and he couldn't finish the way he wanted. It sucks for all of us.”

Woodland described Woods as calmer than usual during the second round, even on a day when all three players in the group were trying to qualify.

“He was definitely trying to fight,” Woodland said. “I hope he’s okay.”

Woodland, 39, who is returning to form after undergoing surgery to treat a brain injury in September, received a sponsor exemption from Woods for this year's tournament.

“I wouldn’t be here without him,” Woodland said. “I hope he comes back. His game looked good. His putting was good, his speed is safe. So his game is going to be in a good place.”

It was an all-too-familiar feeling for Woods. Since returning to professional golf after being seriously injured in a car crash outside Los Angeles in February 2021, Woods has withdrawn or missed the cut in four of his six starts. His two finishes were a tie for 45th at the 2023 Genesis Invitational and a solo 47th at the 2022 Masters.

“My ankle doesn't hurt anymore because there's no bone rubbing,” Woods said Wednesday. “But then again, it's different. Other parts of my body have to take the brunt of it. Just like my back is fused, other parts of my body have taken the brunt of it. I have two body parts different parts that are now fused together. Yes, other parts of the body have to adapt.

Friday marked the first time he withdrew from a tournament before completing 36 holes since the 2019 Northern Trust. It was only the fourth time in his career that he failed to finish at least two rounds in a tournament.

On Thursday, Woods said he hopes to play at least one tournament a month if his body allows it. The Genesis would likely be followed by the Players Championship in March, the Masters in April, the PGA Championship in May, the US Open in June and the Scottish Open in July.

ESPN's Paolo Uggetti contributed to this report.