48-year-old Tiger Woods, who has been affected by physical consequences, has only participated in six official tournaments since his severe car accident in February 2021. Despite being on the brink of losing his right leg, Tiger not only managed to save it but also made a comeback to the competition, although with a significantly reduced schedule.
Woods’ most recent appearance was in December, where he took part in the Hero World Challenge and the PNC Championship, a team event where he played alongside his son Charlie. During that time, Woods expressed his gratitude for being able to walk and play again. He mentioned that he had put in a lot of effort and was able to recover from his injuries. This was his first appearance after a break of more than seven months since his last ankle surgery in April 2023, where he withdrew before the third round of the Masters, which is currently the most recent official PGA Tour event he has participated in.
After ten months since his last appearance in Augusta, Woods announced on Wednesday that he will be returning to the American tour next week at The Genesis Invitational. This tournament is organized by Woods every year on behalf of his Foundation at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California, USA. The reigning champion of The Genesis is Jon Rahm, but he won’t be able to defend his title as he has been sidelined from the PGA Tour after signing with LIV Golf, a controversial and wealthy Saudi Super League. Therefore, just like last year, Woods will begin his season at The Genesis Invitational, which offers a prize pool of 20 million dollars, with four million going to the champion, the same amount awarded to the winner of individual LIV Golf tournaments.
In December, Woods mentioned his intention to play one tournament per month in 2024, with a focus on the Grand Slam events. The first of these events is the Masters at Augusta, taking place from April 11-14. Woods currently shares the record for the most PGA titles, 82, with Sam Snead. Among those titles, he has won 15 majors, three fewer than his compatriot Jack Nicklaus, who holds the overall record of 18 majors.
According to the Source tennisworldusa.org