Tiger Woods confirmed he plays to play all four majors but little else this year after finishing under par on his latest comeback at the Genesis Invitational.
Woods, playing his first non-major PGA Tour event since October 2020, posted rounds of 69, 74 and 67 before closing on Sunday with a two-over 73 on his final trip around Riviera Country Club, to score one under par overall.
It was the first time Woods had completed a 72-hole tournament since the Masters in April, and he noticeably had far less of a limp this time around as he continued to manage his badly damaged ankle.
He was interviewed by CBS after finishing, reflecting on his week, and said: "My game is fine.
"Yeah, it is rusty, I made some silly mistakes here and there. I didn't quite pick up the speed of the greens each and every day fast enough – like I normally would if I was playing – but overall, I feel like I hit the ball like I have been hitting it at home.
"Now I just happened to bring it out here where I had to walk from point A to point B, and that was always the difficulty of it.
"I'm just so thankful for all my team for getting me ready each and every night, and morning, and at least giving myself a chance to go out there and play – and I was able to do it."
After a better-than-expected showing, the 15-time major winner was asked when he plans to play again.
"Competitively, I don't know," Woods said. "My goal each and every year from here going forward is to play in all the majors.
"I'm not going to play too much more than that. My body – my leg, and my back – just won't allow me to play much more than that any more.
"That was my goal last year, and I was able to play three of the four. This year hopefully I can play all four. That is going to be my schedule going forward, because of all the limitations I have."
Woods shared part of the reason he decided to play this week, highlighting the special place in his heart held by Riviera Country Club.
"This wasn't the first PGA Tour I ever attended… but I was here [at the 1983 US PGA Championship] when Hal [Sutton] beat Jack [Nicklaus]," he said.
"This is truly – either here or maybe even St Andrews – one of the most historical tee shots, because they can't go anywhere but that same tee box. You look back in history at this club and everyone has hit from the exact same tee spot on 18.
"I was lucky enough to be part of that history, and play the golf course, and unfortunately my streak still continues, I've never won here, but hopefully next year.
"I'm a So-Cal kid at heart, and to be able to go to from my PGA Tour debut… to now being the host of this event, I would never have foreseen that. I'm very lucky, and very thankful."
Architect of golf’s surprise merger calls for people ‘to come together’
One of the key architects to the deal between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and the rival LIV Golf has called for people on all sides “to come together”.
Jimmy Dunne, an independent director of the PGA Tour Board, played a key role in the approaches to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) – the backers of LIV – and persuading PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan to consider a deal.
He broke the news of the merger to his friend Rory McIlroy, who said he felt like “a sacrificial lamb” and “hated” LIV Golf, but Dunne called for the rival factions to unite.
He told Golf Channel: “The reality is that we need to come together as people. We have too much divisiveness.
“At some point in time – whether it’s our view of the Japanese or our view of the Germans – there is a point in time where you have to say, let’s try to get to know one another.
“Let’s try to understand, let’s try to demonstrate by example.”
The golfing controversy is mirrored by claims of Saudi sportwashing amid criticism of human rights and abuses and connections with the 9/11 attacks – a group representing families of victims accusing Monahan and PGA Tour leaders of “hypocrisy and greed”.
Dunne’s company was based in the World Trade Centre and lost 66 employees in the attack. He only missed being in the building because he was playing in a golf tournament.
“Every day, the first thing I think about is (Sept 11)… several times during the day I think about it and the last thing I think about at night is that,” the 65-year-old told the Golf Channel. “That has not changed since that day. And I’m not alone in that.
“I would guarantee that every one of those family members has that same condition. It is just a reality of how unbelievably sad and awful that day was.”
He continued: “I’m quite certain – and I’ve had conversations with a lot of very knowledgeable people – that the people I’m dealing with had nothing to do with 9/11.
“If someone can find someone who unequivocally was involved with it, I’ll kill them myself. We don’t have to wait around.”
Matt Fitzpatrick one off pace in Canadian Open ahead of title defence
England’s Aaron Rai claimed a share of the lead after the first round of the Canadian Open as compatriot Matt Fitzpatrick was a shot behind as he warmed up for his US Open title defence.
Rai recovered from a terrible start to shoot a five-under-par 67 to sit alongside Corey Connors – looking to become the first Canadian winner in 69 winners – and American pair Chesson Hadley and Justin Lower.
A week before the US Open in Los Angeles, Fitzpatrick’s bid for a third PGA Tour title with a four-under-par 68 at the Oakdale Golf and Country Club.
Having started on the back nine, the 28-year-old fired five birdies and would have been sharing the lead were it not for a bogey on his penultimate hole of the day.
He was one of nine players on 68, ahead of an even larger group on three-under-par which included former US Open champion Justin Rose and fellow English duo Callum Tarren and Harry Hall.
Rai had looked in all sorts of trouble after dropping four shots in three successive holes from the third to slump to three over, but he turned things round in remarkable fashion.
After recording birdies on the seventh and eighth to reach the turn on one over, the 28-year-old from Wolverhampton picked up further shots on the 10th, 12th, 13th, 14th – where he came close to making a hole in one – 16th and 18th to move to five under.
Defending champion Rory McIlroy, whose build-up to the tournament saw him fielding questions about the shock merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, was one under after an eventful opening 71 that included five birdies and four bogeys.
“At the end of the day, this is business and my job is playing golf,” said McIlroy. “The more that I can focus on that and focus on the birdies and the bogeys instead of the stuff that’s happened in the boardroom, I’ll be much happier.
The world number three is seeking a hat-trick of victories at the Canadian Open following triumphs in 2019 and 2022, with the tournament having been cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid.
McIlroy was one behind England’s Tommy Fleetwood and Russell Knox, whose fellow Scot Martin Laird was among those on one-under-par. Tyrell Hatton and Ireland’s Shane Lowry both opened with level par 72s.
Matt Fitzpatrick one off lead at Canadian Open as compatriot Aaron Rai sets pace
Matt Fitzpatrick was one shot off the clubhouse lead jointly held by fellow Englishman Aaron Rai midway through the first round of the Canadian Open.
A week before his US Open defence, Fitzpatrick began his bid for a third career PGA Tour title in steady fashion with a four-under-par 68 at the Oakdale Golf and Country Club.
The 28-year-old, having started on the back nine, rolled in five birdies before a bogey on his penultimate hole of the day – the 352 par-four eighth – left him one shot behind the early leaders, which included Rai.
Rai had looked in all sorts of trouble after dropping four shots in three successive holes from the third to slump to three over, but he turned things round in remarkable fashion.
After recording birdies on the seventh and eighth to reach the turn on one over, the 28-year-old from Wolverhampton then picked up further shots on the 10th, 12th, 13th, 14th – where he came close to making a hole in one – 16th and 18th to move to five under.
That left him in a four-way share of first place with American pair Chesson Hadley and Justin Lower, and home hope Corey Conners.
Defending champion Rory McIlroy, whose build-up to the tournament saw him fielding questions about the shock merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, was one under after an eventful opening 71 that included five birdies and four bogeys.
The world number three is seeking a hat-trick of victories at the Canadian Open following triumphs in 2019 and 2022, with the tournament having been cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid.
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