Tiger Woods could only sink his head into his hands after withdrawing from the Genesis Invitational during Friday’s second round.
The 48-year-old was playing in his first PGA Tour event since last year’s Masters. He could only finish six holes on Friday before he had to stop.
His withdrawal sparked new injury fears, but his business partner Rob McNamara has confirmed Woods was ill.
The legendary golfer was struggling with “flu-like symptoms” and still plans to play in the majors later this year.
Despite McNamara’s reassuring update, Woods still looked upset when he was carted back to the clubhouse at the golf course in California.
Woods started his second round well by birdying the first hole, but back-to-back bogeys followed before he called it a day. McNamara said: “So he started feeling some flu-like symptoms last night.
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.
“Ultimately the doctors are saying he’s got some – potentially some type of flu and that he was dehydrated. He’s been treated with an IV bag and he’s doing much, much better and he’ll be released on his own here soon.”
McNamara then confirmed Woods had no physical injuries. When asked, he replied: “Correct, correct. Not physical at all, his back’s fine. It was all medical illness, dehydration, which is now the symptoms are reversing themselves now that he’s had an IV.”
Woods has struggled with injuries since winning the US Open in 2008, his 14th major title. He fought back to win the Masters in 2019 – completing a remarkable comeback – but hasn’t won on the PGA Tour since his victory at the Zoro Championship in 2019.
Woods was involved in a car accident three years ago and has admitted his career as a full-time golfer is over.”I think something that is realistic is playing the tour one day – never full time, ever again – but pick and choose,” he told Golf Digest in 2021.
Woods insisted he was “pain-free” ahead of the Genesis Invitational and will have one eye on the Masters, which starts at Augusta on April 11. The second major of the year is the US PGA Championship, which will be held at Valhalla in Kentucky in May.
Next up is the US Open, which will be held at Pinehurst in North Carolina in June. The last major of the year is the Open – the only one to take place outside of the United States – and it’s set for Royal Troon in Scotland in July.
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Source: Los Angeles Times
