Tiger Woods: When will he play next after encouraging the PGA Tour’s return to the Genesis Invitational? | Golf News

Tiger Woods posted a 73rd final round to finish tied for 45th in PGA Tour return; 15-time major champion was making his first official appearance since the Open in July; Woods is set to feature at the Masters from April 6-9

Tiger Woods admits he’s not sure whether to play competitively again before the Masters after making an encouraging return to the PGA Tour during the Genesis Invitational.

Woods marked his first competitive start since last July’s Open — and his first PGA Tour appearance outside of a major tournament since the Zozo Championship in October 2020 — with a 73 finish at Riviera Country Club.

The 15-time major champion has regularly said he will not be able to commit to a full playing schedule, following career-threatening injuries sustained in a car crash in February 2021, although Woods is keeping the hope of competing in all four major tournaments.

Tiger Woods has never won at Riviera Country Club

“Well, I’m sure you’ll see me somewhere,” Woods said. SCS. “Competitively, I don’t know.

“My goal every year from now is to play in every major – I’m not going to play much more than that. My body, my leg and my back just won’t allow me to play much more than that.

“So that was my target last year and I was able to play three of the four and this year I hope to be able to play all four. That will be my schedule going forward because of all the limitations I have. .”

Woods birdied on his first hole but had three bogeys in a five-hole streak starting on the sixth, then mixed two birdies with as many bogeys on the back nine to finish under par for the tournament.

“My game is good,” Woods said after his final round. “Yeah, it’s rusty. I made stupid mistakes here and there and didn’t quite pick up the speed of the greens every day fast enough like I normally would if I was playing.

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Tiger Woods notched an impressive four-under 67 on day three of the Genesis Invitational as he continued his comeback from injury.

“But overall I feel like I’m hitting the ball like I’m hitting it at home. I just had to get it out here where I had to walk from point A to point B and that was always the difficulty .

“I’m so grateful to my whole team for preparing me every night, morning, to at least give me a chance to go out there and play. I was able to do that.”

Tiger Woods played alongside Tyrrell Hatton and Kramer Hickok on the final day in California

The Story of Tiger Sunday

Woods recovered from missing the opening fairway to drive in a 15ft birdie on the first par five and drilled 12ft on the third to save par, after finding the greenside bunker with his approach .

The former world No. 1 rose and descended from the back of the fourth green to continue his tee without bogey, but missed from four feet to save the par on the next, Woods then failing to convert a eight-foot birdie chance after a brilliant tee shot at the par-three sixth.

Woods found fairway bunkers off the tee on the eighth and ninth, leaving him unable to get up and down each time and seeing him close a 37 before nine with successive bogeys, then failed to take advantage of the par- 5 11th after two putts at eight feet.

The 47-year-old responded to a bad shot from the rough shot and fell in the 12th by birdieing long range at the next par-four to get back under par for the tournament, only to card a three-putt bogey. to 15 to return to normal tournament level.

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Tiger Woods produced a moment of magic as he birdied long range from the 13th green in the final round

A brilliant par-3 16 tee shot set up a third birdie of the day for Woods, who failed to add to his tally at the following par-5, then capped off an encouraging week with a par of two putts on the last.

When could Woods return?

Woods could consider the Arnold Palmer Invitational from March 2-5 as his next competitive start, an event he has won a record eight times at Bay Hill, although it would leave limited recovery time after this appearance. week in California.

Will Tiger Woods take part in all four major tournaments for the first time since 2020?

TPC Sawgrass players would be another option a week later, with this year’s event marking the 10th anniversary of Woods’ second win at the PGA Tour’s flagship event.

If Woods decides to sit out either of the two Florida-based events, it’s unlikely we’ll see him back in action until the opening men’s major of the year at Augusta National.

Woods finished 47th at the Masters last year and hopes to improve on that performance from April 6-9, live on Sky Sports, four years after winning the green jacket for the fifth time.