Tiger Woods withdraws from Genesis Invitational; ambulance arrives at golf course

Tiger Woods’ return to the PGA Tour was short-lived and scary.

The 48-year-old was back on the course Thursday for an official event for the first time since the Masters in April.

On Friday, though, he called it quits.

Woods was playing at the Genesis Invitational, a tournament he hosts, at Rivieria, but withdrew during the second round due to illness.

Rob McNamara, Woods’ longtime business partner, confirmed that Woods was “feeling some flu-like symptoms,” via Barstool Sports.

“Woke up this morning, they were worse than the night previous. He had a little bit of a fever and that, and was better during the warm-up, but then when he got out there and was walking and playing, he started feeling dizzy.”

Doctors said he has “potentially some flu stuff,” and he was given an IV, “reversing” his symptoms.

McNamara added that the withdraw was “not physical at all.”

“His back’s fine. It was all medical,” he said.

An ambulance and at least one fire truck were spotted outside the Riviera clubhouse, and it was speculated that it was for Woods. However, the ambulance left the golf course with no one loaded into it, according to several people at the course.

Woods turned the clock back a bit with his outfit, repping his new “Sun Day Red” brand. He was wearing a shirt design that closely resembled the one he wore in his PGA Tour debut at Riviera in 1992. 

But it’s now 2024, and it’s becoming increasingly more difficult for Woods to compete.

Since his car accident in 2021, he has appeared in six PGA Tour events, and he has withdrawn three times and missed one cut. But, this is a good sign that it does not appear to be a physical ailment holding Woods back.

Ahead of the tournament, Woods said he was at the course to win, but he was visibly uncomfortable throughout the day.

Woods was outside the projected cut line of even par with a 2-over when he withdrew. He started his day with a birdie on the par-5 first but bogeyed two of his final three holes before hanging up the bag after the sixth hole. He even teed off on seven but couldn’t go anymore.

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Woods was then taken to the clubhouse in a golf cart. Sky Sports says Woods’ stomach was bothering him.

The 15-time major champion grinded through his first round, shooting even par through 17 holes before a dreaded shank ended his day with a bogey on 18.

Woods said that his back was “spazzing” on the final holes of his first round, which led to the shank.

At the time of publication, Patrick Cantlay’s 11-under led the tournament by three strokes.