- Woods appeared to be in trouble and was pushed off the No. 7 hole
- He had teed off on the seventh before leaving the course and retiring
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Tiger Woods' week at Riviera Country Club came to a sudden end as he withdrew from the second round of the Genesis Invitational due to illness.
Woods began the day hovering at the cut line after shooting a 1-over-par 72 yesterday – punctuated by a hard shot on the 18th hole at Riviera Country Club that the 48-year-old attributed to a back spasm .
But after Woods played through six holes and teed off on the seventh, he was seen driving away from the hole in a golf cart.
It was later confirmed by the PGA Tour that the 15-time major champion was suffering from illness and would withdraw. Sky Sports also reported that Jordan Spieth was feeling unwell.
Initially it was believed that Woods would leave Riviera in an ambulance, albeit as a paramedic later reportedly denied that that was the case.
He was seen with his head in his hands in a clip as he was being taken away.
Woods was just above the cut line at two over par and had more than enough time to try to play his way into the field for Saturday and Sunday.
It's an unfortunate end for Tiger Woods at the Genesis as he withdraws due to illness
Woods turned it down and began the day hoping to make a breakthrough at the event he organized
What a depressing video 😔
The Tiger Woods era is officially over. There's no reason he should have played at all if that was the end result. pic.twitter.com/6sC8QQxZgG
— Nighthawk (@KrikorianB15) February 16, 2024
Woods was seen with his head in his hands as he was carted away Friday afternoon
It was supposed to be a special day for Woods as he looked to make his first cut since the Masters last April. He ultimately left the event midway through the third round when he developed back problems.
Woods decided to pay tribute to the clothing he wore in his first-ever PGA event in 1992, which he played on the same course.
After Woods agreed to a deal with TaylorMade and launched his own brand, Sun Day Red, he appeared on the court wearing a polo shirt with the same pattern and colors he wore when he was 16 and played in the frame a sponsor exemption.
He started off strong on Friday, making birdie on the par-5 first hole and then hitting back-to-back pars on holes two and three.
It was a better start than yesterday, when he birdied the first but bogeyed holes two and three.
Woods began struggling with what was initially thought to be back problems when he made a mistake on the fourth and fifth holes and fell over the cut line. He appeared to be in visibly pain in both holes.
He made a par on the sixth hole and the cameras didn't show him making his next tee shot.
Woods wore a polo shirt with a similar pattern and color to his first PGA Tour event in 1992
It follows a first round that ended with four bogeys on the back nine, giving them a one-over lead
Woods appeared visibly uncomfortable on the fourth and fifth holes Friday afternoon
After playing partners Gary Woodland and Justin Thomas teeed off on the seventh hole, Woods jumped in the car and drove away. He officially retired shortly afterwards.
It's a disappointing end to a tournament that was Tiger's first PGA Tour event since the aforementioned 2023 Masters.
He had spent a long time preparing for his return to the Riviera – only to have it suddenly come to an end.
It has not been confirmed that Woods will compete in any other events until the Masters in April.
However, given the quick end to his weekend at the Riviera, he could try to compete in a tournament like the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in four weeks.
Since the 2021 car accident in which he broke his leg, Woods has competed in six events and played 72 holes just twice. This includes three withdrawals and one missed cut.
Tiger Woods will be pulled from the course just seven holes into his second round at the Genesis Invitational as his long-awaited return to the PGA Tour is cut short as the legend withdraws due to illness