Hits within 1 inch of albatross in first action since WD at The Genesis Invitational

Tiger Woods didn’t stick around for long in his only PGA TOUR start of 2024 at The Genesis Invitational.

Now, though, come reports that Woods was in top form at the Seminole Pro-Member on Monday, when, playing with PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh, he nearly made an albatross.

“Everybody that watched him play yesterday at Seminole said he just hit it absolutely down the middle of the golf course,” Brad Faxon said on SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio. “He hit a 5-wood at the par-5 15th and I guess he flew it about 256 yards in the air and it stopped 1 inch from the hole for a tap-in eagle, so people were just like in awe to be able to see him play.

“He walked the course; he could easily have taken a cart if he wanted to,” Faxon added.

The Seminole Pro-Member is a who’s who of professional golf, as several PGA TOUR pros, including Rory McIlroy, who plays with his father, Gerry, have made it a staple. Woods, though, had never played it until this year. (He also has never made an albatross in more than 24,000 holes played on the PGA TOUR.) The duo of Woods/Waugh tied for 33rd in the net division of the event.

At The Genesis Invitational last month, Woods, 48, shot an opening-round 72 that was hindered by late back spasms. He was 1-over through six holes and had just hit his tee shot on the par-4 seventh hole when he called it quits in Round 2, stopped by flu-like symptoms. He was carted back to the locker room by a rules official.

Tiger Woods withdraws from The Genesis due to illness in Round 2

Rob McNamara, EVP of TGR Ventures, said Woods was dizzy and dehydrated, and took an IV bag in the locker room before leaving the course. Asked if it had anything to do with Woods’ previous injuries to his ankle or back, McNamara said, “Not physical at all. His back is fine.”

Woods is coming out of a lengthy period of inactivity after undergoing season-ending ankle-fusion surgery last April. In too much pain to walk before the operation, he reported no such issues at the unofficial Hero World Challenge in December, showing flashes of form but failing to break 70 and finishing 18th in a 20-man field.

Optimistic, Woods said he intended to play roughly one TOUR event a month this season. He managed just 24 holes at The Riviera Country Club, his first official TOUR start since the 2023 Masters, but his performance at the Seminole Pro-Member has the golf world buzzing again. He will not play in this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, which he has won eight times, but THE PLAYERS Championship, which he’s won twice, starts March 14.

“Do I feel it physically?” Woods said at Riviera. “Yeah, absolutely. Each and every day. That’s part of having surgeries and rehab… How the body feels, and the process of preparing for an event, and the aging process, that’s been the trick and the challenge of it all.”