Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Golf superstar Tiger Woods will play his first professional tournament in seven months when he tees it up in next week’s Genesis Invitational, which has been relocated to Torrey Pines because of the Los Angeles wildfires.
Woods, the 15-time major champion who hosts the US PGA Tour event, has committed to play, the tournament announced on Friday. It will be his first appearance in a non-major on the US tour since he played the Genesis last February, withdrawing after one round because of illness. Woods went on to finish 60th at the Masters and missed the cut in the year’s other three majors as he struggled to recover between rounds because of back trouble and leg injuries from a 2021 car crash that continue to hamper him. His last start was at the Open Championship in July.
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Woods had another back surgery in September and teed it up alongside his 15-year-old son Charlie in the PNC Championship family event in Florida in December. He has also played in the TGL indoor simulator league he launched with Northern Ireland star Rory McIlroy this year. The 49-year-old has a long history of success on Torrey Pines’ South Course, where his eight victories include his iconic 2008 US Open triumph in an 18-hole playoff against Rocco Mediate.
Two days after that victory, Woods announced he was undergoing knee surgery, revealing he had played with a broken leg. The Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades is the usual venue for the Genesis. Although the historic club was not damaged in the fires, it fell within the boundaries of the mandatory evacuation zone that forced residents to flee the Palisades fire last month. Organizers and the tour opted to move the event due to the impact of the fires on the local community.
© 2024 AFP
