Max Homa, Other PGA Tour Players Pumped About Tiger’s Return at Genesis

Most of Tiger Woods’s peers were a little bit preoccupied when the news broke about his next start.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.—The news broke at 11:30 a.m. Scottsdale time: Tiger Woods will tee it up next week at the Genesis Open. 

While the golf and broader sports community rejoiced online, most of Woods’s peers and competitors were completely unaware. They were preoccupied with something else—a little golf tournament called the WM Phoenix Open. 

Jason Day was finishing out on his sixth hole of the day at TPC Scottsdale, while Scottie Scheffler was up ahead at his 8th, but neither player got wind of Woods’s decision until after the round, during interviews with the media. 

“Is he?” Day asked when a reporter mentioned Woods’s decision to play the event, which is hosted at Riviera Country Club. “That’s great. That’s awesome. That’s actually really good news. I’m actually really happy about that. It’s good that he’s out, he can walk and it’s nice to be able to see that.”

Tom Kim had a similarly visceral reaction to Woods’s scheduled return, which will be his first start since the 2022 British Open at St. Andrews and his first regular season PGA Tour event since the 2020 Zozo Championship. 

The moment Kim processed the news, his face lit up and his eyes widened at the prospect of playing with the 15-time major champion.

“As a player, even me a big fan of Tiger, it’s going to be awesome for him to be in the field,” Kim said. “Hopefully I can kind of work myself up and kind of hopefully play with him if I get the chance.”

Alternatively, Max Homa—the 2021 Genesis Open champion—had some jokes upon hearing the news. 

“I imagine we’ll be carrying him down the hill on one and up it on 18. Which no one would mind,” Homa said. 

When Woods evaluated his decision to return to the PGA Tour, he likely considered Riviera’s relatively flat terrain. However, Homa is right: The descent from the first tee to the first fairway, as well as the steep stairs that connect Riviera’s 18th green to its clubhouse, are really the only challenging climbs at the George C. Thomas design. 

At the famed Los Angeles course, Woods will not only push through the leg injuries that he sustained during a single car crash back in 2021, but plantar fasciitis in his right foot. 

Jon Rahm, who finished the day one shot back from the early second-round leader Scottie Scheffler, was equally shocked at Woods’s decision, but was pleasantly surprised. 

“He’s playing Riv? Nice. Well I didn’t know. Great to hear,” Rahm said. “After all he's gone through. It’s incredible that he keeps trying. Spoke to him at Bahamas. Everything he had on his leg and then you add the plantar fasciitis. I really feel for him in that sense.”

“I know he’s going to keep doing everything he can to still try to win more tournaments. Possibly get that 83rd win. Hopefully, obviously in his mind a major, right? So it's a true honor for all of us,” he continued. 

Woods hosts the Genesis, so it’s likely that he would have been on the property whether or not he decided to tee it up. Now that the 82-time PGA Tour winner is in the field, however, there will be a heightened energy at the “designated event.” 

“Any time Tiger can be present on the golf course playing makes the tournament even better,” Rahm said.