The Riviera Country Club, the eucalyptus-lined, history-filled playground of LA’s elite and home course of The Genesis Invitational is 53 steps from the 18th green to the clubhouse.
Tiger Woods can climb them all. He will tee off in Round 1 at 9:25 a.m. local time on Thursday, accompanied by Justin Thomas and Gary Woodland. Remember that Woods has been feeling his age, if that sounds like damning with faint praise. He showed signs of improvement in his most recent outing at the unofficial Hero World Challenge, but he was unable to break 70 and came in 18th place out of 20 players. Since then, he has taken more than two months off, which should have given him enough time to grow stronger and sharper.
When questioned on Wednesday about his hopes for the coming week, Woods replied, “A W would be nice.”
But as his news conference continued, reality set in. He spoke of his fused ankle and back.
“Can I literally feel it? Yes, without a doubt. Every single day. That’s a necessary side effect of recovering from surgery, but I’m looking forward to this week, both as a host and participant.” he said.
Naturally, the Genesis Invitational is the competition in which host Tiger Woods has accrued the greatest number of starts (15) but has yet to win. He said on Wednesday that he hasn’t put well enough, but other players are aware of his presence despite his dismal record.
“Tiger was the first person I saw in the locker room yesterday when I drove over from San Diego. “Well done, old man,” he remarks. Though he is older than me, it’s good to have that,” remarked Charley Hoffman, who placed second in the WM Phoenix Open playoff last weekend.
That kind of jab can only be delivered if, first, you are Woods and, second, you are rather elderly. Although he wouldn’t dispute it, 48-year-old Woods is making his first official PGA TOUR start since withdrawing from the Masters Tournament in April due to excruciating pain when walking.
“I’m just relieved that the dude isn’t limping. He gives the event a sense of grandeur. stated Max Homa.
At Riviera, Woods will introduce a new clothing brand, Sun Day Red, a new ball (2024 Bridgestone TOUR B X), and a new (temporary) caddie, experienced Lance Bennett. While it’s a victory to play again, it’s more difficult to envision him winning his 83rd tournament and ending his current tie with Sam Snead for the most career wins on the PGA TOUR.
Not only was the Genesis the first TOUR event that Woods participated in as an amateur in 1992 when he was 16 years old, but it has also not been a joyful hunting field for him. His two closest victories came in 1998 (a T2 in 1999 and a playoff defeat to Billy Mayfair at the neighboring Valencia Country Club).
Also, 40-somethings have not always had the best of luck, though there have been a few notable exceptions lately (Lucas Glover, Camilo Villegas). Nick Taylor pulled ahead of 47-year-old Hoffman in the final round at TPC Scottsdale on Sunday. Only twice in 2020, once in ’22, and four times in the previous season did players in their 40s win. They had 74 top-15 finishes in the previous season, compared to 151 in 2010.
Nevertheless, Woods participated in the Wednesday pro-am alongside Josh Allen, the quarterback for the Buffalo Bills. Despite having a lengthy medical history, he won the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP and the 2019 Masters at age 43. In one way or another, the conventional aging norms might not hold true. Competitive reps are what he needs, as he says all the time. He stated at the Hero that, despite the agony of leaving behind, he intended to perform once a month this season, and that, in light of this, The Genesis signifies the beginning of his professional comeback. He hasn’t had double-digit starts in a season since 2019 (12, with 4 top-10s including the Masters and ZOZO triumphs), and he hasn’t had more than 3 starts in a season since 2020 (seven).
He really must resume playing.
“The trick and the challenge of it all has been how the body feels, the process of getting ready for an event, and the aging process,” he stated at Riveria.
