Tiger Woods makes his first PGA Tour appearance of 2024 at this week’s Genesis Invitational, and the 82-time winner is chasing his first victory since the 2019 ZOZO Championship
Tiger Woods has issued a warning to his fellow pros that this week’s Genesis Invitational at Riviera is where he plans to win a record-breaking 83rd PGA Tour title.
On a week when he is also serving as the tournament host, Woods is making his first start of the year at the Genesis. With his most recent victory coming at the ZOZO Championship in 2019, the 48-year-old is presently tied for the record with the legendary Sam Snead with 82 PGA Tour victories.
The 15-time major champion is still holding out hope that he has what it takes to go up against the greatest and shatter records, beginning this week in Los Angeles and continuing for nearly four years.
This is an occasion that is dear to Woods’s heart. When he was sixteen years old, he made his Tour debut in the Riviera. More recently, he began hosting. Surprisingly, though, throughout his career, the former world No. 1 has never crossed the finish line at the event. He is obviously trying to rectify that this week.
“It would be nice to [win], right?” He spoke about his goal for the occasion. “This event has never been won by me. I have participated in this competition since 1992, but despite my participation, I have never taken first place. I’m hoping to work things out, put myself in the running, and perhaps end up with a win by the end of the week.”
After winning the ZOZO just over three years ago, Woods has faced a plethora of fitness challenges, so his quest for victory number eighty-three has proven difficult. After sustaining potentially fatal injuries in a car accident in February 2021, the American had to miss 14 months of competition before making a comeback at the 2022 Masters.
Following his recovery at Augusta, Woods would only appear twice more in 2022, with one of those appearances coming from his withdrawal from the PGA Championship owing to physical strain. The 2023 campaign saw more of the same; after withdrawing from the Masters two months earlier, he made a comeback at the Genesis last year before being injured once more.
He last participated in the season-ending Hero World Challenge in December of last year, and this week he will be making his first appearance in more than two months. Ankle trouble was the reason he missed most of the previous campaign, but Woods provided a good update on the injury during the press conference on Wednesday.
He said, “Yeah, since no bones are rubbing against each other, my ankle doesn’t hurt anymore.” However, things aren’t the same. My other body parts have to bear the brunt of it. Other parts of my body have suffered more than my back because of this. My two distinct body parts have united into one. Yes, other body parts need to adjust as well.”
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