An expected return and a notable absence from Genesis in Los Angeles

Tiger Woods will play along Justin Thomas and Gary Woodland In the first two laps of Genesis Invitational in Riviera CC., in The Angelswhere it will be his first PGA Tour event since last April. Three will come out this Thursday at 6:25 pm in the Iberian Peninsula (Movistar Golf) and at 8:54 pm on Friday.

Woods, who will sport his brand new Sun Day Red this week, has not competed on the PGA Tour since last April’s Augusta Masters, where he made the cut but withdrew before completing the third round due to plantar fasciitis.

The 15-time major winner underwent ankle surgery that same month and did not return to professional golf until late November at an unofficial PGA Tour event, the Hero World Challenge, also owned by his foundation, with a limited number of participants and no cut. . Woods’ most recent top-10 finish in a tour event was at the 2020 Farmers Insurance Open.

Tiger, at one under par after four rounds, finished shared 45th last year at Riviera. Victory smiled Jon Rahm, who for obvious reasons (he signed with LIV Golf), will not be able to defend the title.

The Genesis Invitational is one of eight ‘Signature Events’ on the PGA Tour this year and has a prize pool of $20 million, including $4 million for the winner. Woods is also hosting the tournament this week. It is one of three player-organized events with a 36-hole cut, along with the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Memorial Tournament.

The ‘field’ consists of the top 50 in last year’s FedEx Cup (all but Justin Rose), those ranked 51st through 60th in the FedEx Cup Fall, the Aon Swing 5, the best player not exempt from the Race to Dubai ( Nicolai Hojgaard), this year’s winners (Nick Dunlap), sponsor exemptions (Woods, Adam Scott, Gary Woodland, Will Zalatoris) and Charlie Sifford Award winner Chase Johnson are not yet exempt. The hit record is held by Lanny Wadkins with 264, set in 1985.

The betting favorite is world number 1 Scottie Scheffler, coming off of being 3rd at the WM Phoenix Open. His best finish in five previous Riviera tournaments is a tie for 7th in 2022. Rory McIlroy, world no. 2 and winner of Dubai almost a month ago, he is playing his second tournament of the season on the PGA Tour after tying for 66th at the Pebble Beach Pro-am. Victor HovlandThe 2023 FedEx winner returns after withdrawing before last week’s event at TPC Scottsdale following a tie for 58th at Pebble Beach. Max Homa won Genesis in 2021 and has four consecutive top-10s in the event. Four of his six PGA Tour victories have come in California.

Note that Woods played the back nine at Riviera on Tuesday with a different look after ending his 27-year business relationship with Nike. He wore a black sweater and black shoes that showed off the new tiger stripes logo and the inscription “SDR.” Tiger, 48, said his goal is to play one tournament a month in 2024 as he returns from plantar fasciitis and ankle surgery last spring. Woods’ last appearance came at the PNC Championship in December, a tag team event in which he played his son Charlie Woods.

Complete list of departures (6 more hours on the peninsula) for this Thursday’s first round of the Genesis Invitational:

10:20 am — Nicolai Hojgaard; Chase Johnson

10:32 am — Charley Hoffman; Beau Hossler; Ben Griffin

10:44 am — Lucas Glover; Byeong Hun An Adam Schenk

10:56 am — Emiliano Grillo; Russell Henley; Sungjae Im

11:08am — Keegan Bradley; Tom Hoge; Harris English

11:20 am — Chris Kirk; Corey Conners; JT Poston

11:32 am — Adam Svensson; Seamus Power; Denny McCarthy

11:44 am — Cam Davis; Adam Hadwin; Cameron Young

12:01 pm — Nick Taylor; Viktor Hovland; Sam Burns

12:13 pm — Tom Kim; Patrick Cantlay; Jordan Spieth

12:25 pm — Justin Thomas; Tiger Woods; Gary Woodland

12:37 pm — Ludvig Aberg; Nick Hardy; Christiaan Bezuidenhout

12:49 pm — Nick Dunlap; Grayson Murray

13:01 — Will Zalatoris; Matt Kuchar; Sam Ryder

1:13 pm — Luke’s List; JJ Spaun; Kevin Yu

1:25 pm — Jason Day; Tony Finau; Brandon Todd

1:42 pm — Lee Hodges; Brain Harman; Hideki Matsuyama

13:54 — Sepp Straka; Yes Woo Kim; Andrew Putnam

2:06 pm — Rickie Fowler; Mackenzie Hughes; Patrick Rodgers

14:18 — Taylor Moore; Kurt Kitayama Eric Cole

14:30 — Sahith Theegala; Xander Schauffele; Tommy Fleetwood

14:42 — Collin Morikawa; Matt Fitzpatrick; Scottie Scheffler

2:54 pm — Wyndham Clark; Rory McIlroy; Max Homa

15:06 — Adam Scott; Alex Smalley; Taylor Montgomery