Tiger Woods had a challenging return to competition in a PGA Tour tournament, facing numerous difficulties and fatigue. After a ten-month absence since his departure in the third round of the Masters, the 15-time Major champion finished the first round of the Genesis Invitational in California in 49th place with a score of 72 (+1) shots.
Playing on the Riviera Country Club course (par 71), where he first competed as an amateur at the age of 16 in 1992, Woods managed to make five birdies but also had six bogeys. He admitted, “I did not demonstrate consistency on the field, and I will put in the effort to improve. My back is now fused, and my body feels sore, but this was expected.” This performance broke his streak of three consecutive under-par scores since 2018 in the opening round of an event.
Leading the tournament with an impressive score of 64 (-7) shots is Patrick Cantlay, who coincidentally has Joe La Cava, Woods’ long-time assistant, as his caddy. Cantlay, ranked 7th in the world, showcased his skills with eight birdies and only one bogey, achieving his lowest round in the 29 times he has played in the Genesis Invitational. Following closely behind him, just one shot away with a score of 65 (-6), is a trio of contenders consisting of Luke List from the United States, and Australians Jason Day and Cameron Davis. The fifth position belongs to Tom Hoge, Jordan Spieth, and Will Zalatoris, who all scored 66 (-5).
Among the top ten players, Scottie Scheffler, the current world ranking leader, and the promising Swedish talent Ludvig Aberg are tied for 10th place with a score of 68 (-3). However, Rory McIlroy, the second-ranked player in the world, had a disappointing start, finishing 64th with a score of 74 (+3). Despite making three birdies in the first 11 holes, McIlroy tarnished his performance with two bogeys and two double bogeys.
The 2024 Genesis Invitational features a total of 70 competitors, vying for a prize pool of 20,000,000 dollars, with 4,000,000 dollars awarded to the winner.
According to the Source tennisworldusa.org