PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. — Tiger Woods arrived at Riviera Nation Membership exterior Los Angeles on Tuesday with a contemporary clothes line, a brand new caddie and renewed hope that this season might be totally different than the previous three when he was nonetheless recovering from severe accidents suffered in a automotive wreck in February 2021.
Sporting his new Solar Day Purple attire, Woods performed Riviera’s again 9 in a observe spherical on Tuesday.
He’s scheduled to play in Wednesday morning’s pro-am and meet with the media later within the day.
This would be the first event in his skilled profession the place he is not decked from head to toe in Nike’s well-known swoosh.
On Thursday on the Genesis Invitational, Woods, 48, is about to make his first begin in an official PGA Tour event in additional than 10 months. It is going to be his first aggressive rounds since he completed 18th in a 20-man area on the Hero World Problem, an unofficial occasion, within the Bahamas in December.
Woods’ most up-to-date begin in an official PGA Tour event got here on the Masters in April. After making the minimize, he was pressured to drag out of the 2023 season’s first main within the weather-delayed third spherical due to extreme ache in his proper ankle and foot.
The 15-time main winner underwent fusion surgical procedure on April 19 to handle post-traumatic arthritis he suffered within the automotive wreck. The process sidelined him for almost eight months.
After taking part in 72 holes on the Hero World Problem, Woods stated he was inspired by how his surgically repaired proper ankle and foot held up. He stated he “drove it just about on a string all week” and was inspired that he was hitting the center face of his irons. Nonetheless, he admitted his brief sport wanted work.
Woods stated he was impressed sufficient to imagine he may play one event per 30 days this season, together with The Gamers in March, the Masters in April, the PGA Championship in Might, the U.S. Open in June and The Open in July.
“I believe that I can get into the rhythm of it,” Woods stated within the Bahamas. “I believe that having a few weeks off to get well, per week to construct up, there is no motive why I am unable to get into that rhythm. It is only a matter of getting in higher form, principally. I really feel like my sport’s not that far off, however I must get in higher form.”
Again at it 💪@TigerWoods is on the course @TheGenesisInv. pic.twitter.com/V6vlYKGKG1
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 13, 2024
Woods will play the primary and second rounds of the Genesis with good mates Justin Thomas and Gary Woodland. It’s the fifth straight time he’ll play with Thomas within the opening rounds at Riviera. The trio will tee off at 12:25 p.m. ET Thursday and a pair of:54 p.m. ET Friday at Riviera.
Woods’ affect and larger-than-life persona is maybe no extra evident than at this event every year. He helps choose every year’s Charlie Sifford Memorial sponsor exemption, normally given to a younger up-and-coming participant. This 12 months, recipient Chase Johnson spoke at size about Woods’ influence on him.
“He is my idol. I grew up taking part in the Tiger Woods video video games and every little thing,” Johnson stated. “I’ve all the time wished to play towards him. Everybody from my era does. Everybody from each era desires to.”
It is not simply younger gamers who appear to really feel that means. Canadian golfer Nick Taylor, who received final week’s PGA Tour occasion on the Waste Administration Open, stated he has by no means met or performed with Woods however hopes to at some point.
“There’s been a couple of occasions after I was very near being paired with him,” Taylor stated. “I hope he retains taking part in as a lot as he can in order that state of affairs works out.”
The Genesis, which advantages Woods’ TGR Basis, was the one official PGA Tour occasion through which he performed 72 holes final season. After posting a 2-under 69 within the first spherical, Woods carded bogeys on three of his final 4 holes within the second spherical for a 3-over 74. He made the minimize on the quantity and tied for forty fifth with a 72-hole complete of 1-under 283.
Longtime caddie Lance Bennett will carry Woods’ bag this week. Bennett has labored beforehand with PGA Tour gamers Matt Kuchar, Sungjae Im and Davis Riley, in addition to with LPGA legend Lorena Ochoa.
This season, Bennett is working for PGA Tour rookie Adrien Dumont de Chassart of Belgium. Dumont de Chassart, the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour Rookie of the 12 months, didn’t qualify for the Genesis area. It is not identified if Bennett will proceed to work with Woods in potential begins later this season.
“It is thrilling,” Kuchar stated of Bennett. “I am actually, actually blissful for him, blissful for Tiger. What a cool alternative, proper? I imply, that is simply superior. Lance and I’m going again a very long time. For me, it is a humorous form of small world out right here, golfers and caddies, however I’m excited to see the way it goes.”
Woods’ most up-to-date full-time caddie, Joe LaCava, is now working with Patrick Cantlay. LaCava helped Woods seize his fifteenth main championship on the 2019 Masters.
Kuchar stated carrying Woods’ bag will include elevated duties for Bennett.
“Tiger’s a novel creature in the case of the eye and all of the stuff that goes his means,” Kuchar stated. “I am a reasonably low-maintenance man. I believe that the Tiger Woods job comes with much more duties and duties, and I believe Lance actually can deal with them. I hope issues go nicely.”
Woods’ longtime pal and enterprise associate Rob McNamara carried his bag on the Hero World Problem. Woods’ daughter, Sam, caddied for him when he performed along with his son, Charlie, on the PNC Championship in December.
Woods’ most up-to-date top-10 end on the PGA Tour got here on the 2020 Farmers Insurance coverage Open. He wants yet one more victory to interrupt a tie with Sam Snead for essentially the most wins in PGA Tour historical past at 83. His final win on tour got here on the 2019 Zozo Championship.
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