(Reuters) – Tournament host Tiger Woods has committed to playing in next week’s Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines, which will mark the 15-times major champion’s first official PGA Tour event since last July’s British Open.
The opening round of the February 13-16 tournament, a PGA Tour Signature Event that has a $20 million purse and benefits Woods’ TGR Foundation, will be held nine days after Woods announced on social media that his mother died at age 78.
Woods had until 5:00 p.m. ET (2200 GMT) on Friday to commit to the Genesis Invitational and tournament organisers announced his decision to make his PGA Tour season debut next week in a social media post ahead of the deadline.
Since missing the cut at the British Open, Woods had surgery in September on his lower back, played with his son in a laid-back 36-hole event in December and competed twice last month in the indoor team golf league he co-founded.
Woods, who made his first PGA Tour appearance of 2024 at the Genesis Invitational, has played a limited schedule since his horrific Feb. 2021 car crash and said last December he was not “tournament sharp yet.”
Typically held at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, this year’s Genesis Invitational was relocated to Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego due to the Los Angeles wildfires.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
