The PGA Tour took to Pacific Palisades, CA on Thursday for the first round of the Genesis Invitational in an extremely star-studded list of players in the event. Unquestionably the biggest star in the field is returning golf legend Tiger Woods, who hadn’t played competitive golf since the Open Championship last July.
Woods played alongside stars Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy on Thursday. He was in the midst of a mostly subpar first round but turned things around in a huge way in the final three holes of his round.
Tiger came to the 16th hole at +1 but proceeded to have a fantastic end of the round. He recorded birdies on both 16 and 17, then finished the round with three in a row, making birdie at No. 18.
In his first official round since July, Tiger finishes with three straight birdies at Riviera.pic.twitter.com/6cVBlpVllf
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) February 17, 2023
With the fantastic finish to his round Tiger sits at -2 and is in a tie for 26th place.
This incredible finish to the round certainly sets him up in a prime position to make the cut and play the weekend. Many around the golf world praised him for his impressive play coming off such a long layoff.
TIGER WITH BACK TO BACK BIRDIES
The fist pump is so back 💥pic.twitter.com/KdvSERWMJZ
— DraftKings (@DraftKings) February 17, 2023
TIGER FIRST PUMP IS BACK
TIGER WITH BACK TO BACK BIRDIES
— Barstool Gambling (@stoolgambling) February 17, 2023
Birdie, birdie, birdie to close out a 69 from Tiger. Unbelievable finish. pic.twitter.com/iU3xreeeVi
— Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) February 17, 2023
What an absolute show Tiger Woods put on today. Now comes the hard part—a 14-hour turnaround before tomorrow's morning tee time. It'll be chilly at Riviera. But it's inarguable that he surpassed all expectations today. 69. Nice.
— Dan Rapaport (@Daniel_Rapaport) February 17, 2023
Unbelievable scene on 18 at Genesis Invitational watching Tiger Woods sink his birdie putt. pic.twitter.com/bhd7uXqwiZ
— Charlotte Gibson (@TheCharlotteSue) February 17, 2023
What makes this performance in the first round for Woods even more impressive is that even in his prime Riviera Country Club wasn’t an ideal course for him. It is one of the few courses that he has never won in his historic career in 13 appearances at the course.
While he didn’t have the best round up until his late birdie streak, his finish is the best of anyone in the field. According to ESPN Stats & Info on Twitter, he was the only player to birdie holes 16,17,18 in Round 1.
Tiger Woods finishes Round 1 of The Genesis Invitational with birdies on 16, 17 and 18, the only player in the field to do so with a few groups left to play.
This is the first time he's made 3 consecutive birdies on the PGA TOUR since the final round of the 2020 Masters (15-18). pic.twitter.com/oppaqERMwX
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) February 17, 2023
Tiger Woods will look to keep this momentum going in Round 2 on Friday with an early start at 7:24 a.m. local time, 10:24 a.m. Eastern.
