Tiger Woods left with egg on face after rival overturns Genesis Invitational decision
Tiger Woods is set to return to golf at the Genesis Invitational, with the 15-time major champion also serving as host – and one player has secured an entry despite being snubbed for an invitation
Charley Hoffman earned a spot at the Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles after Tiger Woods was unable to offer an exemption for the veteran.
Last weekend, Hoffman performed well at the WM Phoenix Open and began playing at the Genesis Invitational, a tournament he was not originally invited to. The 47-year-old struggled last season, making just 13 of 31 cuts and finished 137th in the FedEx Cup standings, missing the top 10. As a result, Hoffman was forced to compete in 50 award-free categories this season. He has not finished outside the top 40 in his first three starts of the year and was ranked 300 in the world this week, but lost to Nick Taylor in a play-off on Sunday. They did enough to advance to the Genesis Invitational, which is impressive because the signature event is difficult to advance to. There are eight such small categories, most of which offer no discounts, and while the prize money is high, few make the same claims as Hoffman. When Woods refused to release him, Hoffman assumed he wouldn’t play and made other plans. When the reporter told him he landed a spot appearing on A On Swing 5, the veteran asked, “Was it effective? surprising. I’m happy about that. I guess I’ll have to play next week instead of skiing.
He added: “To tell a little backstage story, I told Tiger to quit and he said he took it all in, so I think he quit because he said, ‘I’m going to play my way.’
Hoffman won one of the five spots available at events such as the Sony Open, American Express, Farmers Insurance Open and the WM Phoenix Open. Grayson Murray, Christian Bezuidenhout, Kevin Yu and Matthew Pavon (who could be replaced by Justin Thomas) make up the remaining four. Meanwhile, Woods is preparing for his return to golf as the 82-time PGA Tour winner competes in the Genesis Invitational. The 48-year-old, who is also the tournament organizer, has not competed since the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas last December. The 15-time national champion has played a reduced schedule in recent years. In 2023, Woods played only three times on tour due to physical problems. He returned to the Masters after participating in the Genesis Invitational, but was unable to participate due to a wrist injury. Woods had to spend eight months rehabbing before returning for the World of Heroes Challenge. His return to the Riviera next week marks a new chapter in Woods’ career as he continues his 27-year partnership with Nike Golf. On Monday, Woods announced the launch of his new brand, Sun Day Red (SDR), a nod to the color he wears on the final day of the tournament. He hopes that will bring him luck as he looks for his first PGA Tour win since his car crash in 2021.
