Woods eyes Riviera win
Tiger Woods returns from a seven-month injury absence this week amid plenty of uncertainty, but his goal at the Genesis Invitational remains clear: to win.
"I would not have put myself out here if I didn't think I could beat these guys and win the event," the 15-time major champion said Tuesday as he prepared to tee it up at Riviera Country Club.
"That's my mentality."
Woods hosts the tournament for the benefit of his charitable foundation, but it wasn't until Friday that he confirmed he would actually make his first tour-level start since the British Open in July.
Since then, he has continued his recovery from the severe leg injuries he suffered in a February 2021 car crash, his biggest problem now the "intricate little balance" of building stamina in his damaged ankle so that he can walk 72 holes for four straight days.
"I can still hit shots, but it's the walking endurance that's hard," Woods said. "That's something that we've had to work on, walking distances on the beach, just basically stress it out but also be able to recover by the next day and see how it is inflammation-wise and then keep practicing.
"I may have overdone it a couple times here or there, but here I am," he said.
After several surgeries in the wake of his accident, Woods made a stunning comeback at the 2022 Masters, finishing in 47th place. He withdrew from the PGA Championship in May after 54 holes, and missed the cut at the Open Championship at St Andrews.
A planned return at the unofficial Hero World Challenge in December was called off because of plantar fasciitis in his right foot.
He did play two low-key December exhibition tournaments – both allowing the use of carts – but four tournament rounds pose a strikingly different challenge.
"I am very rusty, but I've come off a rusty situation before (and) I've done well," said Woods, who has notably come back from knee and back injuries in his career.
"Plus, I know this golf course," he added. "I know I haven't had a lot of success on this golf course, but I knew what to practice for, shots to hit at home getting ready."
Woods has a long history at Riviera, the picturesque course in Pacific Palisades west of downtown Los Angeles that he first visited as a child.
He made his PGA Tour debut at Riviera in 1992 as a 16-year-old high schooler playing on a sponsor's exemption.
He missed the cut – and Riviera remains the course he's played most without a tournament victory, with a runner-up finish in 1999 his best result in 13 tournament starts.
Riviera features some daunting terrain, with a steep hike down from the first tee and another climb up a set of rustic railroad-tie stairs from the 18th green to the clubhouse.
"Maybe signing for something in the mid-60s will get him up that hill pretty quick," suggested former world number one Justin Rose, who was impressed by what he saw of Woods's game in the American's brief outings in December.
"In terms of the important part of can you hit a golf ball, can you get a ball in the hole, all of that seemed to be really in order," said Rose, who ended a four-year title drought at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am this month.
Woods headlines a stellar field for the third of the US tour's new "designated events" designed to showcase and reward the game's top players.
Nineteen of the world's top 20 players will tee it up competing for a tournament-record $20 million purse.
Scottie Scheffler, who regained the world number one ranking with his Phoenix Open victory last week, could be supplanted either by Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy or Spain's Jon Rahm – both of whom have top-flight victories this year.
So Woods will be testing himself against a quality field in what he acknowledges will be one of very few starts this year. He has said he hopes to play the major championships and "maybe one or two more" events.
"Would I like to play more? Yes," Woods said Tuesday. "Will (injuries) allow me to? I don't know. I have to be realistic about that."
(责任编辑:资讯)
- The OLED Burn
- Blac Chyna and Rob Kardashian had their dream baby
- Daniel Russel in South Korea for talks on North Korea
- The 5 stages of Trump grief: How to go through them as fast as possible
- Game Plan
- 17 Spectacular Outdoor Staircases
- 2 natural earthquakes detected in sea off North Korea
- Haaland transfer price speculation is 'crazy'
- The 5 stages of Trump grief: How to go through them as fast as possible
- 9 Festive Holiday Treats and Where to Find Them
- 石棉县公安局新棉派出所组织开展旅馆业主培训会
- Pedri masterclass sends Barca second
- Ford will roll out new self
-
10 Places to Get to Know Paul Bunyan
Paul Bunyan, a larger-than-life lumberjack with super-human strength, was a character created by Can ...[详细] -
Pedri masterclass sends Barca second
BARCELONA:A wonder goal from Pedri proved the difference for Barcelona on Sunday as a 1-0 win over S ...[详细] -
身先士卒 勇挑重担 石棉县丰乐乡是瀑电石棉库区移民人数最多、移民任务最繁重的乡镇,移民工作难度大。面对困难,丰乐乡党委书记赵志红没有退缩,她带头深入基层,了解群众诉求,处理矛盾纠纷,突破了一道又一道难 ...[详细]
-
黑石河桥头违章建筑正在拆除中 日前,随着阵阵轰鸣声,汉源县黑石河桥头又一片违章建筑轰然倒下。这是继7月8日汉源县法院“新区清库第一拆”后,该院完成搬迁拆除的第4组违章建筑。 “一条龙”服务安全推进清库 ...[详细]
-
50 Places to Eat and Drink Before You Die
A pizzeria that uses an active volcano as an oven in Guatemala. A soup that’s been simmering f ...[详细] -
Klopp 'happy' with Salah contract position
LONDON:Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has insisted he is "happy" with Mohamed Salah's ...[详细] -
'Please Like Me' actress posts about her abortion to support Planned Parenthood
Abortion can be difficult. Even more difficult in the United States with the election of a president ...[详细] -
LOS ANGELES:Jennifer Kupcho held her nerve to clinch the first LPGA Tour victory of her career on Su ...[详细]
-
World's first green ammonia plant is now open for business
Three Danish energy tech firms have flung open the doors to the first ever green ammonia plant in th ...[详细] -
雅安日报讯 记者近日从石棉县委宣传部获悉,为了庆祝新中国成立60周年,近日,石棉县委宣传部和县文化体育旅游局在该县党政网和石棉门户网站(http://www.shimian.gov.cn)上联合举办 ...[详细]
- 50 Places to Eat and Drink Before You Die
- US position on North Korean sanctions unchanged as Koreas push railway project
- Something insane is happening on Reddit right now
- Korea rolls out support measures for companies forced out of Gaeseong
- 16 of the Most Epic Sandwiches Around the Planet
- Milan's lead cut to a point in Serie A
- Matt Lauer's Twitter account is gone after sexual harassment scandal