PACIFIC PALISADES — While the news that Tiger Woods would be playing in this week’s Genesis Invitational at Rivera Country Club came as a surprise to many people, according to Woods, his plan all along was to be part of the field this week.
“Whether or not this body would listen to me or not was the main question,” Woods said during Tuesday’s media conference. “I can hit golf balls and do all that stuff, it’s matter of whether I have endurance in my leg. We’ve been pushing it pretty good and able to recover each and every day, which is great, so I’m excited about being able to compete and play and play here at Riviera where basically it all started.”
The tournament, which benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation, will mark the first time since the 2022 Open Championship in July that Woods will compete in an “official” PGA Tour event.
It was just two years ago that Woods was severely injured in a single-car accident two days after the 2021 Genesis in which he suffered significant orthopedic injuries to his leg and ankle, creating doubt that he might ever walk again much less play competitive golf. As he has done more than once during his career, Woods rose to the challenge, returning to play in the 2022 Masters just over a year after the accident.
While he also played in the US Open and the Open Championship, he struggled with the leg. Since July, he and his training staff have worked diligently to increase his strength and movement, especially in the ankle.
“It’s gotten so much better the last couple months,” Woods said. “I’m excited to go out there and compete and play with these guys. And I would not have put myself out here if I didn’t think I could beat these guys and win the event. That’s my mentality. If I wasn’t ready to win at this level, (I would not play). I am very rusty, but I’ve come off a rusty situation before around I’ve done well and I’ve had to utilize a lot of those tactics in practice in buildup, plus…
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