PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. – Another Tiger Woods comeback was derailed Friday at the Genesis Invitational – not because of injury, but an illness.
Woods withdrew from his tournament at Riviera after hitting his tee shot into the fairway on the seventh hole. Woods was carted off the course and brought into the clubhouse to receive medical attention.
Woods’ manager, Rob McNamara, said later that Woods began experiencing flu-like symptoms on Thursday night, after his opening-round 72 at Riviera. Woods’ condition deteriorated by the time he arrived at the course for his 11:54 a.m. PST tee time, and McNamara said that Woods began feeling dizzy on the course.
“Potentially, it’s some kind of flu and he was dehydrated,” McNamara said. He added that Woods was treated with an IV bag and was doing “much, much better.” He reiterated that Woods was not hampered by any physical ailment.
“His back is fine,” McNamara said. “It was all medical illness, dehydration, which is now the symptoms that are reversing themselves now that he’s had an IV.”
Flanked by McNamara, caddie Lance Bennett and his personal bodyguard, Woods departed the clubhouse in a courtesy car at about 3:50 p.m. local time, roughly two hours after he withdrew.
Per Tiger’s manager Rob McNamara, Tiger started experiencing flu-like symptoms last night and began feeling dizzy on the course. He’s now doing “much, much better” after an IV. The issue, McNamara says, is “not physical at all.” pic.twitter.com/FsWpiFFB8p
— Ryan Lavner (@RyanLavnerGC) February 16, 2024
Speculation initially ran rampant about Woods’ condition, particularly after he said Thursday that he experienced back spasms late in the round, including when his back “locked up” over his approach into the 18th hole that led to a stunning shank. In the second round, Woods moved slowly and was spotted on the fifth tee leaning over a tee sign, appearing uncomfortable. He also made multiple visits to the restroom off the tee on the par-3 sixth hole. After Woods hit a 272-yard tee shot into the fairway on No. 7, he called for a cart.
“He obviously wasn’t himself,” said Gary Woodland, who was grouped with Woods. “Just didn’t look right. Saw that before the round started. It sucks.”
Reporters and camera crews gathered near the player locker room exit, awaiting Woods’ departure. But minutes later, two ladder trucks and an ambulance from the Los Angeles Fire Department arrived at the front of the clubhouse, and an ambulance backed into position near an exit door, presumably for Woods. A crush of media descended on the area, but no one got inside the ambulance – a source said that paramedics were dropping off IV bags – and the trucks eventually drove away.
Woods made two bogeys and one birdie through his first six holes and was outside the top-50 cut line when he walked off the course.
It was an unexpected exit to what was a highly anticipated season debut, with Woods making his first official start since the Masters. Since then, he underwent another surgery, this time an ankle fusion, before he returned to competition in December at the Hero World Challenge (where he finished 18th out of 20) and the PNC Championship.
Woods, the tournament host at the Genesis, gave himself a sponsor exemption into this $20 million signature event. In the opening round he mixed five birdies with six bogeys, looking sharp at times with his iron play but also rusty on and around the greens.
“His game looked right. His putting was nice. His speed is up for sure,” Woodland said. “His game is going to be in a good spot.”
It’s unknown when Woods will next tee it up – The Players Championship is in four weeks – but he said he hoped to play once a month this season.
“Obviously, everything is better with him there,” Woodland said, “and for his first tournament back and he couldn’t come out and finish the way he wanted to, that sucks for all of us.“
