Tiger Woods is recovering from ankle fusion surgery, hasn't completed a PGA Tour event in a year, and has never won at Riviera. And yet, Tiger's foremost metric of success heading into his 2024 season debut at this week's Genesis Invitational is the same as it ever was.

“A W would be nice,” the 15-time major champion told reporters at his pre-tournament press conference Wednesday (after enjoying a pro-am round with Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen and Los Angeles Angels outfielder Aaron Hicks).

Woods, who is hosting the hallowed event via the TGR Foundation, will tee off Thursday at 9:25 a.m. PT with Justin Thomas and Gary Woodland. As the third Signature Event on the calendar, the top 50 and/or anyone within 10 shots of the leader after two rounds will play the weekend.

 

Woods has entered two non-PGA Tour events since April: The Hero World Challenge and PNC Championship (with his son Charlie), both in December. Tiger finished 18th out of 20 at the Hero — a much friendlier course than Riviera.

On Wednesday, Woods said his ankle is pain-free, though the rest of his 48-year-old body “takes the brunt” of the stress. 2024 marks the third anniversary of his near-fatal car accident, which occurred the morning after the Genesis.

“Do I feel it physically?” he said about the accident. “Yeah, absolutely. Each and every day. That’s part of having surgeries and rehab, but I’m excited about this week, and excited about hosting and playing.

Woods said he's refined his swing to depend on his “hands” and “feel” — with the emphasis on hitting the ball “flush and solid” — citing the unpredictability of his frame.

“I had two soft events, playing at Hero and the PNC. Trying to get used to the new feels of the body. Those are always going to be the challenge. And the challenge of trying to get Tour-ready… making sure I’m physically fit and ready to play this event. … We have our work cut out for us, and I’m looking forward to it.”

A triumph at Los Angeles' famed country club has a glaring white whale for Tiger, despite his deep personal history with the venue. Tiger's 15 starts without a win are his most for any event he hasn't won. The California native attended his first golf tournament at Riviera and made his PGA Tour debut in the Pacific Palisades in 1992.

“It’s been full circle for me to have come out here when I was seven, eight years old,” said Tiger. “To come out here and play my first Tour event … and then … 25 years later, to have the foundation actually run and be in control of the event, and I’m actually hosting and playing. It’s an incredible week.”

 

The stars just haven't aligned for him in the Palisades, as he's succumbed to the draw-friendly layout and the unpredictable poa annua greens (which should play softer this week due to recent rain). The only time Woods genuinely sniffed competition came in 1999, but an awry tee shot on 18 cost him against Ernie Els.

“I have traditionally not putted well here. This is a fader’s delight. Most of the holes for a righty run left to right … Generally, their bumpy poa has been a little bit tricky.”

That said, he's still produced his share of memorable moments:

Tiger can still generate plenty of distance and has every shot in his bag — a key for Riviera, which rewards short game, par saves, iron play and guile in the same vein as Augusta, one of Tiger's best courses. He showed vintage flashes in 2023, carding a 69 on Friday and making the cut before finishing 2-under (T45).

One year later, the ankle's different, the ball's different, the apparel's different, and the caddie's different. At Riviera — and only Riviera — maybe Tiger would prefer the results to be different, too.

“It is frustrating in the sense that this golf course has been very comfortable visually. … But for some reason I just haven’t put it together … So, hopefully I can figure something out and get myself in there in contention and maybe get a W at the end of the week.”

 

In reality, seeing Woods complete four rounds and play decent golf would be an encouraging enough sign. Tiger says he wants to play all four majors and roughly one tournament a month in 2024.

“I still love competing, I love playing, I love being a part of the game of golf. This is a game of a lifetime and I don’t want to ever stop playing.”

Tiger is tied with Sam Snead for the most wins in PGA Tour history (82). His last victory came at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP in 2019.