PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. – Tiger Woods isn’t ready to be a ceremonial golfer. He’s teeing it up this week to win at the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club.
“I would not have put myself out here if I didn’t think I could beat these guys and win the event,” Woods said on Tuesday in his pre-tournament press conference. “That’s my mentality.”
Woods is playing in his first official PGA Tour event since he missed the cut at the British Open in July. He withdrew ahead of the Hero World Challenge, an unofficial event that he hosts, on November 28, citing plantar fasciitis in his right foot. He competed in The Match, a 12-hole exhibition, and the PNC Championship, a 36-hole two-person team event with his son. On both occasions, he was allowed to use a golf cart, something that he won’t be able to use this week at one of the tougher walks in golf. When Woods announced on Friday that he was ready to play “an actual PGA Tour tournament,” fellow pro Max Homa, who won the Genesis Invitational in 2021, joked that the players would take turns carrying him down the steep hill from No.1 and back up to the clubhouse after 18.
“Which no one would mind,” Homa said. “It’s awesome. I’m really glad he’s back. I think we’re privileged any time he plays now.”
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Another former winner at Riviera, James Hahn echoed that sentiment.
“We all talk about who the next guy is, I don’t think anybody compares,” said Hahn. “When we see him at Riviera, we’re all going to be humbled and we’re going to realize there can only be one ‘Chosen One’ and he’s The Chosen One. I see all the stars in the locker room but when I see Tiger, I’m speechless. It’s different.”
Woods said it was always his plan to play here this week at the tournament where he also serves as host and his foundation is the primary beneficiary. It’s been a laborious process for Woods, who endured a single-car accident a day after the tournament concluded in 2021, to be able to return to action.
“Whether or not this body would listen to me or not was the main question,” he said. “I could do the Ranger Rick thing, so I can hit golf balls and do all that stuff, it’s matter of whether I have endurance in my leg, and we’ve been pushing it pretty good and able to do recovery each and every day, which is great, so I’m excited about being able to compete and play and play here at Riviera where…
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