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Tiger Woods’ 2024 Genesis Invitational is officially over. Woods withdrew from the second round of competition while on the seventh hole at Riviera Country Club on Friday.
Woods’ early departure was due to illness, according to Woods’ team, and not his physical condition. The 48-year-old was dealing with back spasms during the final stretch of his first round on Thursday, and was noticeably limping as he walked to the clubhouse and played his second round on Friday.
“Last night he started feeling some flu-like symptoms,” said Rob McNamara, Tiger’s longtime business partner and vice president of TGR Ventures. “[Tiger] I woke up this morning, they were worse than the night before. He had a little fever and stuff, and he was better during the warm-up, but then when he came out and was walking around and playing, he started feeling dizzy. In the end, the doctors say that he has something, potentially some kind of flu, and that he was dehydrated. He has been treated with an IV bag and is much, much better and will soon be discharged here on his own.”
Woods confirmed his flu diagnosis on Saturday.
Woods was struggling to make the cut after opening the Genesis Invitational with a 1-over 72. After starting with a birdie, the tournament host dropped shots at the par-3 4th and the par-4 5th, falling to 2-over for the tournament. . He was in danger of not playing the weekend being out of the top 50 and more than 10 shots behind leader Patrick Cantlay.
The Genesis Invitational was Woods’ first start on the PGA Tour since the 2023 Masters, where he was forced to withdraw due to an ankle injury. Woods has now withdrawn from three of his last six tournaments since the 2022 Masters and has only completed 72 holes on the PGA Tour twice (including at Riviera last season).
Where Tiger goes from here is up in the air. Either the Arnold Palmer Invitational or the Players Championship, both in March, make a logical return tournament for Woods as he steps up his preparations for the Masters.
It’s clear that Woods needs more time in the sand. He showed an old Tiger in his latest comeback attempt, but lacks the consistency to string together four rounds and keep up with his teammates. Woods’ first round was iconic, as he made five birdies, six bogeys and seven pars. Ultimately, his battle for consistency is not against his game but also against his body.
Physically, Tiger is limited in terms of practice time and, of course, tournament action, where sharpness (or lack thereof) eventually surfaces. If he decides to forego competition during the Florida Swing, the 15-time major champion could arrive at Augusta National in April with little to no repeat play under his belt for the third straight year.
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