“There has been progress. But since I didn’t win, my streak continues.”
Tiger Woods (48, USA), the emperor of golf, added a light joke in an interview after finishing his comeback match after 7 months, saying with satisfaction, “We are going in the right direction.” It was a self-deprecating remark that although it was successful to compete with a much healthier body, the jinx of not winning the 12th Riviera CC as a professional player is still the same.
Woods scored 2 over par with 3 birdies and 5 bogies in the final round of the PGA Tour Genesis Invitational (total prize money of 20 million dollars) held at Riviera CC (par 71, 7322 yards) in Pacific Palisades, California on the 20th. He shot 73 strokes and recorded a total of 1 under par 283 strokes, finishing in a tie for 45th with Kim Joo-hyung (21) and others. Woods played all 4 rounds in 10 months since the Masters Tournament (47th place) in April of last year, the first tournament after a car accident in 2021, and wrote the final under par record in November 2020 Masters 메이저놀이터 for the first time.
Woods, who made a surprise appearance at the event as both an organizer and player, rode a roller coaster for four days. On the first day, he started decently with a 2-under-par 69, but in the second round, he lost 3 strokes and was on the verge of missing the cut, only to advance to the finals with a chin-up (tied for 58th). In the third round, with an impressive play of 4 under par 67, he jumped up to 26th place and excited fans, but the day, wearing his signature ‘Sunday Red (red top, black pants)’, finished with a slightly poor overall record.
Woods said, “Even if I practiced at home for four days, the adrenaline and concentration were different from the real battle,” and “It was definitely harder than I thought to compete for the championship.” “I miss the friendship I share with the players and compete with them at the tournament. There are a lot of players who don’t come out well for several years. The Champions Tour leaderboard is all players you know. But it’s great to play with the best players who will be the future of the PGA Tour.”
Golf Week, a professional golf media outlet in the United States, evaluated, “Through this tournament, Woods’ will is alive and it is confirmed that he can still compete with the best players regardless of his age or physical condition.”
Woods drew a line on whether he would be able to participate in other PGA events before the Masters in April, saying, “As I said last year, my goal is to add a few more tournaments centered on major tournaments.” The Players Championship will be held in three weeks, but it is an unreasonable schedule for Woods, who needs a sufficient recovery period.