Tiger Woods withdraws from his first PGA tour event in about a year due to illness

LOS ANGELES — Tiger Woods withdrew from the Genesis Invitational on Friday after he was reportedly not feeling well.

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Woods, 48, who has won 15 golf major titles during his career, was carted off the Riviera County Club, according to the PGA Tour. Rob McNamara, the executive vice president of TGR Ventures, said that Woods felt like he had flu-like symptoms Thursday evening and the symptoms got worse on Friday, The Associated Press reported.

Woods lasted about 24 holes before withdrawing from the Genesis Invitational, the AP reported. He had about two hours to go before he decided to withdraw.

“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,” McNamara said, according to the PGA Tour. “Ultimately the doctors are saying he’s got some -- potentially 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.”

Gary Woodland said, according to ESPN, that Woods “didn’t look right” before the tee-off Friday.

“Obviously he wasn’t himself,” Woodland said. “It sucks, everything is better with him there. For him, first tournament back, and he couldn’t finish the way he wanted to. That sucks for all of us.”

“He was definitely trying to fight through it,” Woodland said. “I hope he’s all right.”

On Friday, Woods was 1-over through six holes. He just hit his tee shot on a par-4 hole before dropping out, the PGA Tour said.

Woods had been dealing with back spasms during the opening round on Thursday and it appeared that the spasms continued Friday, according to ESPN. Over his career, Woods has reportedly had five back surgeries.

The Genesis Invitational was Woods’ first PGA Tour event in 2024. It was also his seventh official event since he was injured severely in his leg following a car crash in February 2021, The Washington Post reported.

Woods has not played an official event since last April, when he played in the Masters, the AP reported. He withdrew from that in the middle of the third round after a rain delay.

Woods was the host of the Genesis Invitational. According to the AP, it is run by his TGR Foundation.

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