Charley Hoffman arrived at Riviera for the Genesis Invitational and was welcomed by Tiger Woods, who had previously denied him a sponsor’s invitation. Hoffman secured his place in the tournament with a second-place finish at the WM Phoenix Open. This unexpected opportunity came as a surprise to Hoffman, who had initially planned to go on a skiing vacation. However, he had to postpone his plans due to his participation in the Genesis Invitational.
Reports from Golf Digest state that as Hoffman made his way towards the course, Woods was the first person to greet him. Despite the initial denial of the sponsor’s invitation, Woods applauded Hoffman’s hard work and said, “Good job, old man.” The two players, who are of similar age, shared a moment of camaraderie.
The Genesis Invitational took place at the Riviera Course this week, featuring a limited field of top golfers. emerged as the leader after firing an impressive 7-under 64 in the first round. The competition for the top spot is intense, with , , and all tied for second place, just one stroke behind Cantlay.
As the leaderboard progresses, the competition becomes even tighter. Thirteen golfers, including Charley Hoffman, are tied for 15th place after shooting a score of 69. Additionally, 15 players are tied for 28th place after firing a 70 in the first round.
While Tiger Woods and Justin Thomas are tied for 49th place, the biggest surprise of the day was . The North Irishman had a disappointing performance, with two consecutive double bogeys towards the end of the round. This has raised concerns about his ability to make the cut in this prestigious event.
The leaderboard is expected to change once again on Friday. It will be interesting to see if Cantlay can maintain his lead from the first round.
According to the Source firstsportz.com