Tiger Woods has surprised everyone by announcing his participation in the Genesis Invitational next week. Practically no one expected the 15-time Major champion to play a competitive PGA Tour event before the Masters Tournament. This seemed to be the case from his statements during the PNC Championship, as well as his absence from the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas. Tiger mentioned then that he still had a long way to go to be competitive, and indeed, he hasn’t looked particularly sharp in the two TGL tournaments he has played, even though they are not as demanding as a PGA Tour event. All of this led to the belief that his return wouldn’t be until April. However, this Friday brought a surprise.
Woods has confirmed his presence at the Genesis, the tournament where he also acts as a host through his foundation, and this year it has changed its venue. It is usually played at the Riviera Country Club, but a few days ago it was announced that it would move to Torrey Pines, specifically the South Course, due to the fires that have ravaged the surroundings of Riviera, in Los Angeles.
The change of course is not bad news for Tiger, quite the opposite. He has never managed to win at Riviera, but he has seven victories at Torrey Pines, including the 2008 US Open. It’s one of his favourite courses.
Let’s remember that the Genesis Invitational is a designated event with a reduced field, although unlike others like the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, it does have a cut. That should be Tiger’s first objective. The cut is made by 50 players and ties.
Thus, Tiger will return to competition seven months later, specifically since the Open Championship in July at Royal Troon. That week he missed the cut. The last cut Woods made was at the 2024 Masters. He finished in 60th place. The last time he played the Genesis was last year, and his memory is not very good, as he had to withdraw due to illness with the tournament already underway.
