Tiger Woods withdraws during Round 2 of Genesis due to illness

LOS ANGELES — Tiger Woods withdrew from the second spherical of the Genesis Invitational on Friday due to sickness.

Woods pulled out of the event after hitting his tee shot on the seventh gap at Riviera Nation Membership. He was taken off the course in a golf cart pushed by a event official. At one level, Woods put his head in his fingers in frustration.

Rob McNamara, Woods’ good good friend and the chief vice chairman of TGR Ventures, mentioned in an announcement that Woods started struggling flu-like signs Thursday night time. On Friday morning, they had been worse. He was handled by physicians at Riviera.

“He had a bit little bit of a fever, and that was higher in the course of the warmup,” McNamara mentioned. “However then when he received on the market and was strolling and enjoying, he began feeling dizzy. In the end, the docs are saying he is received probably some kind of flu and that he was dehydrated. He is been handled with an IV bag and he is doing a lot, significantly better.”

McNamara mentioned Woods’ again, which he had struggled with in Thursday’s opening spherical, was “wonderful.”

“It was all medical sickness, dehydration, which is now the signs are reversing themselves now that he is had an IV,” McNamara mentioned.

After Woods was carted off the course, two hearth vans and an ambulance from the Pacific Palisades Fireplace Division arrived at Riviera simply earlier than 2 p.m. PT after a 911 name was made as a result of no IVs had been obtainable on website, sources advised ESPN. First responders spent greater than half-hour inside earlier than exiting and leaving the property.

At 3:43 p.m. PT, Woods exited the boys’s locker room at Riviera, promptly entered a automobile pushed by his safety guard and left the grounds.

Woods battled again spasms in Thursday’s opening spherical and gave the impression to be having points together with his again once more Friday. The 15-time main champion has undergone 5 again surgical procedures throughout his profession.

Woods was making his first begin in an official PGA Tour occasion since he withdrew from the rain-delayed third spherical on the Masters in April. He was 1 over after six holes within the second spherical Thursday and a pair of over for the event. The minimize ended up being 1 over.

It was a disappointing outcome for Woods, who was enjoying in his first official PGA Tour occasion in additional than 10 months, one which he hosts and one which advantages his basis. As Woods, 48, neared the top of the entrance 9, a pair hundred followers had been ready for him on the ninth inexperienced. He by no means arrived. After information broke that Woods had withdrawn, followers began heading towards the exits.

Gary Woodland mentioned Woods “did not look proper” earlier than the group even teed off Friday.

“Clearly he wasn’t himself,” mentioned Woodland, who was paired with Woods and Justin Thomas for the opening two rounds. “It sucks. All the pieces is healthier with him there. For him, first event again, and he could not end the best way he needed to. That sucks for all of us.”

Woodland described Woods as quieter than normal in the course of the second spherical, even on a day when all three gamers within the group had been making an attempt to make the minimize.

“He was positively making an attempt to battle by it,” Woodland mentioned. “I hope he is all proper.”

The 39-year-old Woodland, who’s returning to type after present process surgical procedure to deal with a mind lesion in September, acquired a sponsor’s exemption from Woods for this yr’s event.

“I would not be right here if it wasn’t for him,” Woodland mentioned. “I hope he will get again. His recreation seemed proper. His placing was good, velocity is up for positive. So his recreation’s going to be in a great spot.”

It was an all-too-familiar feeling for Woods. Since returning to skilled golf after he suffered severe accidents in a automobile wreck exterior Los Angeles in February 2021, Woods has withdrawn or missed the minimize in 4 of his six begins. His two finishes had been a tie for Forty fifth within the 2023 Genesis Invitational and a solo forty seventh within the 2022 Masters.

“My ankle does not damage anymore as a result of no bones are rubbing anymore,” Woods mentioned Wednesday. “However then once more, it is totally different. Different components of my physique need to take the brunt of it. Similar to my again is fused so different components of my physique have taken the brunt of that. I’ve two totally different physique components that are actually fused. Yeah, different components of the physique need to adapt.”

Friday marked the primary time he is pulled out of a event earlier than finishing 36 holes because the 2019 Northern Belief. It is solely the fourth time in his profession that he did not full at the very least two rounds in a event.

On Thursday, Woods mentioned he hoped to play at the very least one event a month if his physique would permit it. The Genesis would presumably be adopted by the Gamers Championship in March, Masters in April, PGA Championship in Might, U.S. Open in June and The Open in Scotland in July.

ESPN’s Paolo Uggetti contributed to this report.