Tiger Woods lite is most definitely not Tiger Bright

By Rahul Banerji

Tiger Woods chalked up some dubious records on his latest outing, the Genesis Invitational at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California.

He started well enough, with a 2-under 69 that included a first hole eagle. All is well, his vast army of fans and followers thought. But that was to be an early flash in the pan as he thereafter got progressively worse with cards of 73, 76 and 77.

Not only did he finish dead last, he also made a four-putt for just the second time since 1998. That’s how bad things had become, even though the tournament was a success for his foundation.

Overall, he was 22 shots adrift of the winner, Australia’s Adam Scott (72-64-67-70, 273).

So what went so badly wrong for a player widely expected to get title number 83 to break the deadlock with Sam Snead in terms of all-time PGA Tour wins?

‘Too light’

Tiger himself said later he was “too light” in an interview to Golf TV’s Henni Zuel.

“I’m a little bit light for me right now, which I don’t really like,” Tiger said.

“I like being a little lighter, but not quite this light, so [I’m] going to get in there and start eating a lot, start training.”

On Sunday, after he had finished on 6-over 77, he admitted at the post-event press conference that it had been a hard day.

“I did not do much well today. Good news, I hit every ball forward, not backwards, a couple sideways. But overall, I’m done,” he said.

“I’ve been in this position many times unfortunately. Just keep fighting hole by hole, shot by shot and try to make some birdies, which I did not do.

“It’s still disappointing, it’s still frustrating, I’m still a little ticked. But I also look at it from a perspective which I didn’t do most of my career, that I have a chance to play going down the road.

“A few years ago that wasn’t the case.”

Unfriendly venue

Interestingly, this was the event Tiger had hoped to launch his 2020 run even though as a venue, the Riviera Country Club, has never been kind to him.

This is where he made his PGA Tour debut as a 16 year old amateur in 1992, and ahead of the Genesis Open, had shared a few thoughts with journalists.

“To come here in 1992 and play, but to come here with my dad and my old pro, Rudy, who took me up here,” Woods said. “I remember watching Lanny Wadkins play well here and win, seeing Corey Pavin and Davis (Love III) and Freddie (Couples) go after it.

“There’s a lot of history for me to come up here and play. This was the second professional event I ever went to besides San Diego.

“I have historically never really putted well here,” Woods said.

‘Slopey’ greens

“I’ve played here so many rounds. It suits a natural cutter of the golf ball, so I figured that’s what I have done pretty much my entire career, but when it comes right down to it, you’ve got to hit the ball well here because the greens are so small and they’re so slopey. 

“But for some reason everything kind of breaks toward six and I still haven’t quite figured that out.”

The four-putt on Sunday was testament to that.

Also read: Some top guns of the last season and Tiger’s new beginning