Whenever a new year begins, people have new year’s resolutions, looking to improve themselves. Tigers Woods is no different.
Some of those resolutions begin in January and conclude by the month’s end, but for others some begin in the second month in February.
For PGA Tour golfers, a new season brings new opportunities to take advantage of in a year that is a lot different than the previous year.
Tiger Woods looks forward to 2024 season, one tournament at a time
For 15-time major champion Tiger Woods, his first tournament kicks off this week at The Genesis Invitational in Pacific Palisades, Calif. It is indeed the start of a new era for the all-time great.
Woods, who is also the tournament host, is teeing it up with Justin Thomas and Gary Woodland at 12:25 p.m. ET in Thursday’s first round and 2:54 p.m. ET in Friday’s second round.
That fresh new mentality this year also comes with playing a new ball in the 2024 Bridgestone Tour B X and announcing his new clothing line, Sun Day Red, which was officially announced earlier this week. That came after his 27-year partnership with Nike ended a couple months ago.
Sun Day Red, which comes May 1, is full of golf gear from polo t-shirts to shoes and even clothing that can be worn off the course.
He also has a new caddie this week in the veteran Lance Bennett, who has caddied other PGA Tour players such as Sungjae Im, Zach Johnson and, most notably Matt Kuchar when he was victorious at the 2023 Players Championship.
On the course, Woods is still stuck on 82 PGA Tour wins and has yet to win The Riviera Country Club in 14 trips. This is the course where he has accumulated the most starts without a victory.
His best trip to Los Angeles property was a second-place finish during the 1999 Nissan Open. He also finished fifth and seventh at the Nissan Open in 2003 and 2004, respectively, for his only top-10s.
“A W would be nice,” Tiger Woods said Wednesday to reporters.
Woods, who his still be sporting his red on Sunday, has been sitting on 82 PGA Tour victories since he won the 2019 ZOZO Championship in Japan, six months after winning his fifth green jacket at the Masters for his 15th major title.
After withdrawing from the Masters in the second round last return due to a Plantar Fasciitis injury in his foot, he would not return to a PGA Tour field until the Hero World Challenge, an unofficial event on the schedule, which hosted 20 of the top golfers on the PGA Tour, including Woods, who was the tournament host.
Tiger Woods talks injuries, return to action
“Do I feel it physically?” he said of his past procedures. “Yeah, absolutely. Each and every day. That’s part of having surgeries and rehab, but I’m excited about this week, and excited about hosting and playing.”
From knee surgeries to back procedures and many more through the years, Woods has had to overcome all of them as the most recent has been with his foot with plantar fasciitis and the subtalar fusion ankle surgery last year.
The 48-year-old had glimpses of hope during the Hero World Challenge, but not enough to break 70 and finished 18th at even par after 72 holes.
Since that late November event, Woods has continued to elevate and improve on his game saying that he was on target to play one event per month, beginning this week at The Genesis Invitational.
Although he is currently tied with Sam Snead for the most PGA Tour wins, he still has the impact off the course as PGA Tour players enjoy seeing him competing on the course.
“I’m just happy to see the man not limping,” said Max Homa, who is looking for his second Genesis Invitational win in three years. “He makes the event feel bigger.”
Whenever Woods makes his appearances to play in a event, no matter the stature of tournament, he surely bring the crowds, especially when he won the 2018 Tour Championship and he brought practically the whole gallery with him as he was walking up the 18th green with current World No. 2 Rory McIlroy.
That win was not only his first PGA Tour victory in five years, but it also brought career victory No. 80, officially putting him back on track to try and eclipse Snead’s record.
Now, the comeback will reach an unfathomable level as he begins another chapter in his illustrious golf career as he not only tries to win, but do it in style against players that are half his age, and younger, while making record-breaking history.