‘Golf Emperor’ Tiger Woods (48, USA) returns to the field. It is the first time in seven months since The Open in July of last year that he participated in an official match hosted by the PGA Tour.
Woods said on his social media on the 11th (Korean time), “I am ready to participate in the PGA Tour.” In addition, he tagged the account of the Genesis Invitational (total prize money of 20 million dollars, about 25.4 billion won), which opens on the 16th.
Last year, he said, “In 2023, we plan to select one or two additional competitions in addition to the major competitions,” and chose the Genesis Invitational as the first competition. When the ‘golf emperor’ expressed his intention to participate, Genesis officials, the organizer, were also pleased. On the 12th, “Woods’ participation was confirmed. Inside and outside the venue, there is full of anticipation for his return.”
It is the first time in 7 months since The Open in July last year that Woods played a regular round of 18 holes without riding a cart. Woods competed in The Match last December with Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, and Jordan Spieth, but it was a 12-hole tournament. At the PNC Championships, where he competed with his son (Charlie Woods), he rode a cart around the course.
The Genesis Invitational is a tournament that draws attention in that it played an important inflection point in Woods’ golf life. After finishing this competition in February 2021, I had a car accident on a coastal road in Los Angeles, California, USA. He suffered severe injuries to his right leg and ankle at the time and was on the operating table. Because of his serious injury, some people feared that his golf life was over, but Woods overcame it. After over a year of rehabilitation, he returned through the Masters in April of last year.
Even after that, his condition was far from normal. At the PGA Championship, in which he competed the following month, right before his return, he limped his leg during a game, raising concerns. After skipping the US Open in June and taking a breather, he competed in the Open in July, but missed the cut. In December of last year, he was scheduled to participate in a tournament (Hero World Challenge) hosted by the Tiger Woods Foundation, which he founded, but withdrew his intention to participate due to pain in the sole of his right foot (plantar fasciitis).
The Genesis Invitational, which was chosen again as the stage for its comeback this year, has a deep relationship with Woods other than the accident. In 1992, when he was an amateur, at the age of 17, he made his PGA Tour unofficial debut through the Nissan Open, the predecessor of this tournament. The venue of the tournament at the time was also the same Riviera Golf Course in Pacific Palisades, California, USA. Due to the same relationship, the Tiger Woods Foundation will be the host of this event. 바카라
Although he is a ‘living legend’ with 82 victories on the PGA Tour, Woods has never reached the top of the 11 tournaments he participated in here. This is also the record for the longest time without a win at a golf course throughout Woods’ career.
On the 11th, ESPN of the United States said, “Woods announced his return through social media. It was the first non-major tournament in three years since the Jojo Championship in 2020,” said Thomas, as well as fellow players such as Jon Rahm and Max Homa. did.
The Genesis Invitational is a competition sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company. It is the third ‘special tournament’ held on the PGA Tour this season. Starting from this season, the PGA Tour grants the ‘special’ title to tournaments with a total prize money of 15 million dollars (approximately 19.1 billion won) or more.