AP Golf Writer Doug Ferguson
LOS ANGELES - Tiger Woods golfed 16 holes of his professional tournament Wednesday at the Genesis Invitational on a chilly morning, with winds gusting to 25 mph that felt in the 30s.
The important thing, at least for now, is how it turned out. He missed the final two holes at Riviera Country Club, but after shaking hands with his favorite members, he smoothly climbed the 52 steps to the clubhouse.
He is unstoppable on Thursday as Woods takes on a full roster of the world's best players at St Andrews for the first time since missing the British Open.
The plantar fasciitis that kept him out of the Bahamas in December is clearing up. He said his ankle, badly injured in a car accident on the Rolling Hills estate in February 2021, is his biggest concern. There is also the problem of rusting.
"But I came out of a tough situation and I feel good," Woods said at his press conference Tuesday.
He returned from knee surgery in late 2002 and won his first start at Torrey Pines. He once took a 10-week break after the 2007 tour season and won his World Challenge by seven strokes.
He was young, healthy and strong. His swing is as efficient as ever, especially with the irons. For Woods, it's about taking the next shot on a pair of legs that have been hurt for years.
And then there's the matter of the golf course.
Rivera is one of his favorite models, but the romance ends there. Woods stopped playing the tournament after 2006, mainly because he rarely performed well. He talked about this while talking about his preparations for the Genesis Invitational.
"Besides, I know this golf course," he said with a smile, before adding, "I know I didn't have much success on this golf course. But I knew what I had to train for, preparing for the shoot at home."
It really is a mystery.
Woods never again played a PGA Tour course without a win. He played 11 matches as a professional at Riviera with just one win. It was 1999 when he finished second, two strokes behind Ernie Els.
Most revealing was his long pursuit of golf. Between late August 1999 and March of the following year, Woods won or finished second in 10 of the 11 PGA Tour events he entered.
The exception? He is 18th in Riviera.
"It might be an anomaly, it might be the only one in his entire career," said Adam Scott, who has two wins and two second-place finishes at Riviera. “It's a little inexplicable. I don't know what to say about it. In fact, his career only had strength. This course is tougher than the second tee and he can definitely handle it.
"I don't know if he doesn't feel it here or something," Scott added. "But I'll share some tips with me on how to beat some bosses if you share some tips."
Everyone was worried about the cold and wind on Wednesday, although it might not be the worst. In the morning there was a gust of 25 m/s. Woods hit a driver and iron 9-iron 458 yards into the freezing wind and into the front bunker about 10 yards from the green.
This elicited multiple laughs, and then when he lobbed the ball through the legs of one of his fans into the bunker.
"There's a lot going on," laughed Woods.
The course is the strongest of the year, with a purse of $20 million so far, although the Riviera is so clear that it has always attracted the best players. They played nineteen of the top 20 in the world rankings (Woods is 1,294), except for Cameron Smith, who was fired to sign with the rival Saudi-funded LIV Golf League.
Also absent is Joaquin Nieman, the champion who joined LIV Golf in August. Woods hosts the Genesis Invitational and presented the trophy to Neiman last year.
He would personally love to take home the trophy, though the odds are high.
Max Homan, who won the Woods trophy two years ago, is one of the most vivid memories of a kid growing up in the Los Angeles area who idolized Woods.
How do you explain that Woods didn't win at Rivera because of his excellent iron play? On Wednesday, Khoma found himself trying to answer for himself.
"That's bullshit," Khoma said.
He thought of Woods-dominant tracks like Bay Hill, where sophomore hits are just as important as Rivera's.
"So when you come here... I thought he won 10 times," Khoma said. "It's a mystery to me, it looks like it's going to be a playground.