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A18 SPORTS
Tuesday 24 January 2017
Tiger Woods returns to Riviera, where PGA Tour career began
BETH HARRIS early 2000, Woods either
AP Sports Writer won or was runner-up in 10
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tiger of 11 PGA events.
Woods is roaring into the The exception was Riviera,
new year, preparing to where he tied for 18th.
play four times in five weeks The last time he played
in his return to the PGA Tour Riviera was in 2006. Woods
after a 15-month absence. was among those who got
One of his stops includes caught out in the rain with-
a return to his hometown out an umbrella. He made
tournament in Los Ange- the cut on the number, but
les, where he made his first then withdrew the next
start on the pro tour as a morning because of the
skinny 16-year-old. flu.
Woods has stayed away Although Riviera is consid-
from Riviera, which hosts ered his hometown tour-
the newly renamed Gene- nament, Woods is partial
sis Open next month, since to Torrey Pines near San
2006. He loves the vener- Diego, where he’ll start his
able course nestled in a season on Thursday in the
posh residential neighbor- Farmers Insurance Open.
hood overlooking the Pa- He’s won that tournament
cific Ocean, but has never In this June 26, 2016, file photo, Tiger Woods stands on the 18th green during the trophy ceremony seven times along with a
won there. for Quicken Loans National PGA golf tournament winner Billy Hurley III in Bethesda, Md. U.S. Open playing on a
And that led him to avoid Associated Press bad knee at the La Jolla
course.
it. Woods will be testing his sur-
“I’ve just never played it gically repaired back start-
well,” he said Monday as ing at Torrey Pines. Next
occasional rain pelted week, he’ll jet to Dubai for
the already soggy course. an event before returning
“That’s the only reason.” to Los Angeles for the Feb.
Woods debuted at Riv- 13-19 Genesis Open and
iera in 1992 on a spon- then playing the Honda
sor’s exemption. The teen- Classic in Florida. A lot of
ager from nearby Orange travel in a short time for the
County shot 72-75 to miss 41-year-old.
the cut. “If my back feels good,
“I felt fine on that first tee I know I can prepare
but as I took the club back, enough and I know I can
I never felt nerves like that,” play,” he said. “I need to
he recalled. “I was skinny. I have my health at a state
looked like a 1-iron. I didn’t where I can prepare. When
weigh a lot. I had a lot of I feel that way, I know I can
speed.” shoot scores and win golf
Woods birdied his first hole tournaments.”
and thought to himself: Plagued by injuries after his
“That’s how you want to first back surgery in 2014,
start off your PGA Tour ca- Woods had two more sur-
reer.” geries in the fall of 2015
On his second hole, his and didn’t play again until
shot smacked a fence and his Hero World Challenge
before long the teenager in the Bahamas last month.
was 17 shots behind Davis He finished 15th in the 17-
Love III after 36 holes. Love man field.
eventually lost in a playoff “I just need to get out there
to Fred Couples. and do it,” Woods said. “I
“I have so far to go,” feel like I’m strong enough,
Woods recalled thinking. I can handle the workload.
“I’m not that good.” Feeling good about it and
But by 1997, he was Mas- doing it are two different
ters champion and well on things.”
his way to winning 79 PGA Three weeks into the new
Tour career titles. year, Woods already has
“Twenty-five years later, the Masters on his mind.
here we are,” said Woods, “I would love to play and
whose best finish at Riv- I would love to win,” he
iera was a tie for second in said. “I’m hoping I can get
1999. everything right, so yes, I’m
From the end of 1999 to looking forward to it.”q
