17 February 2024 , 18:56
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Tiger Woods has confirmed he's suffering from the flu after withdrawing from the Genesis Invitational.
The 48-year-old was making his first PGA Tour appearance of the season at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, but he could only complete six holes of his second round on Friday. After hitting his tee shot on the seventh,m he informed playing partners Justin Thomas and Gary Woodland that he was withdrawing.
He was taken to the clubhouse on a buggy and fans feared Woods had suffered a recurrence of the back issues that have marred the later years of his career. But business partner Rob McNamara later confirmed Woods' withdrawal was "not physical at all", revealing the 15-time major champion had been dealing with flu-like symptoms and was being treated with an IV bag.
Woods took to X on Saturday to confirm he quit the tournament due to illness. He said: "I would like to confirm that I had to withdraw from the Genesis Invitational due to illness, which we now know is influenza. I am resting and feeling better. Good luck to the players this weekend. I’m disappointed to not be there and want to thank Genesis and all the fans for the support."
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Woods was two-over-par at the point of his withdrawal. He carded a one-over-par round of 73 on Thursday, with glimpses of brilliance leading to five birdies, but he was error-strewn and finished the day with six bogeys on the card.
Late in his first round, Woods started suffering back spasms. He said the issue caused him to hit a dreadful shank with his approach shot on the 18th, which flared out right and he had to conjure a sensational recovery to avoid disaster and escape with a bogey.
Tiger Woods was visibly upset after quitting the Genesis Invitational (PGA Tour)Fans were hopeful Woods could tidy up his mistakes and make the cut at the midway point of the tournament, but he struggled overnight with the illness and decided he could not continue a third of the way through his second round.
"His back is fine. It was all medical illness, dehydration... the symptoms are reversing themselves now that he's had an IV [drip]," McNamara said on Friday. "He had a little bit of a fever and was better during the warm-up, but then when he got out there and was walking and playing, he started feeling dizzy.
"Ultimately the doctors are saying he's potentially got some type of flu and that he was dehydrated. He's been treated with an IV bag and he's doing much, much better and he'll be released on his own here soon."
Woods was making his first appearance on the PGA Tour since having to withdraw from The Masters last year. He had ankle surgery soon after to address lingering issues from a high-speed car crash in 2021.
The 82-time winner on the PGA Tour intends to play a limited schedule throughout 2024, including the majors and the flagship events on tour.