Tiger Woods' 2024 Genesis Invitational is officially over. Woods withdrew from the second round of competition while on the seventh hole at Riviera Country Club on Friday.
Woods' early departure came due to illness, according to Woods' camp, and not his physical state. The 48-year-old was dealing with back spasms down the stretch of his first round Thursday, and he was noticeably limping while walking into the clubhouse and playing his second round Friday.
"He started feeling some flu-like symptoms last night," said Rob McNamara, Tiger's longtime business partner and vice president of TGR Ventures. "[Tiger] woke up this morning, they were worse than the night previous. He had a little bit of a fever and that, and was better during the warm-up, but then when he got out there and was walking and playing, he started feeling dizzy. Ultimately, the doctors are saying he's got some -- potentially some type of flu and that he was dehydrated. He's been treated with an IV bag and he's doing much, much better and he'll be released on his own here soon."
Woods confirmed his influenza diagnosis on Saturday.
I would like to confirm that I had to withdraw from @thegenesisinv due to illness, which we now know is influenza. I am resting and feeling better. Good luck to the players this weekend. I’m disappointed to not be there and want to thank @GenesisUSA and all the fans for the…
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) February 17, 2024
Woods was battling to make the cut after opening the Genesis Invitational with a 1-over 72. After starting with a birdie, the tournament host dropped shots on the par-3 4th and the par-4 5th, falling to 2 over for the tournament. He was in danger of not playing the weekend sitting outside the top 50 and more than 10 strokes behind leader Patrick Cantlay.
The Genesis Invitational was Woods' first start on the PGA Tour since the 2023 Masters where he was forced to withdraw due to an ankle injury. Woods has now withdrawn from three of his last six tournaments since the 2022 Masters and only completed 72 holes on the PGA Tour twice (including at Riviera last season).
Where Tiger goes from here is up in the air. Either the Arnold Palmer Invitational or The Players Championship -- both in March -- make for a logical return tournament for Woods as he ramps up preparations for the Masters.
It is clear Woods needs more time in the arena. He flashed vintage Tiger in his latest comeback attempt but lacks the consistency to string together four rounds and keep pace with his peers. Woods' first round was emblematic of this as he carded five birdies, six bogeys and seven pars. Ultimately, his battle for consistency is not against his game but against his body, too.
Physically, Tiger is limited in terms of practice time, and of course, tournament action where sharpness -- or lack thereof -- ultimately surfaces. If he chooses to forgo competition during the Florida Swing, the 15-time major champion could arrive at Augusta National in April with little or no game reps under his belt for the third straight year.
