Tiger Woods, amid the backdrop of The Genesis Invitational at Riviera, withdrew from the second round on Friday due to illness, truncating the 15-time major champion’s comeback to the PGA Tour since last April’s Masters.
Woods, one over par after six holes, had just commenced play at the par-four seventh when he opted to cease his participation.
He was then escorted away by a rules official, his demeanor reflecting the disappointment, his head cradled in his hands.
The 48-year-old, also assuming the role of tournament host this week, encountered back spasms in Thursday’s opening round.
He concluded the day trailing the leader by eight shots, landing him in a joint 49th position with a score of one-over-par 72.
“Last night, he began experiencing flu-like symptoms.
Upon awakening this morning, they had exacerbated,” disclosed Woods’ business partner and close confidant Rob McNamara to the press.
“He developed a fever and although it improved during warm-up, he subsequently felt dizzy. Medical consultation revealed flu accompanied by dehydration.
He’s received treatment via intravenous hydration and is showing signs of improvement.”
McNamara underscored, “This was purely medical. His back remains unaffected.
The root cause was dehydration, and the symptoms are gradually abating.”
During the opening round, Woods encountered a rare mishap, shanking his approach shot at the final hole, a lapse he attributed to the earlier back spasms.
While Woods secured a place in the 2023 Masters, he withdrew before the conclusion of the third round due to plantar fasciitis, later undergoing ankle surgery in the same month.
His professional return came towards the end of November, participating in the unofficial PGA Tour event, the Hero World Challenge, characterized by a restricted field and no cut.
Subsequently, Woods teamed up with his son, Charlie, at the PNC Championship two weeks later.
This 36-hole event features two-player teams comprising a major champion and a family member.