"My streak continues here at Riv" - Tiger Woods believes ‘progress’ was made at Genesis Invitational
The 2023 Genesis Invitational concluded on Sunday with Jon Rahm winning the title. The Spaniard was handed the trophy by host Tiger Woods. The legendary golfer himself finished T45 in the competition.
Despite the loud fan support at the Riviera, the ace golfer couldn’t pull out a surprising result. Woods, who returned to the PGA Tour after months on the sidelines, seemed okay with the result as well. The 47-year-old was all smiles as fans chanted "TIGER! TIGER!" as he walked away from the green after finishing two over 73. The ace golfer even addressed that his losing "streak" continued at the iconic L.A. venue. However, he stated that it was still 'progress'.
Speaking to the media after the Genesis Invitational, Tiger Woods said:
"It was progress, but obviously I didn't win. My streak continues here at Riv."
The champion and the host 🏆🐅
@TigerWoods | @JonRahmPGA https://t.co/3QqTnRhkLd
For the unversed, the Riviera is one of Woods’ unluckiest fields. The legendary golfer has somehow never won at the venue. With the Genesis, his record at the iconic venues stands at 0-for-14.
Speaking about the event, Woods said:
"I felt like the first couple days I left certainly a lot of shots out there with some putts, especially Friday when I was blocking everything. Yesterday was better. Still wish I could have gotten within a touch of the leaders, but today they're running away with it. Even with a good round yesterday I wouldn't have been in touch today."
He added:
"Even if I played four days at home, it's not the same adrenaline. It's not the same as the system being ramped up like that, the intensity, just the focus that it takes to play at this level. No matter how much—I'm very good at simulating that at home, but it's just not the same as being out here and doing it."
Lots of love for @TigerWoods 🐅 https://t.co/opkBjbN23J
Tiger Woods on his next event
Tiger Woods sounded disinterested on a quick return to the greens. The 15-time Major champion termed the Genesis as one of those 'other' events and said that he wanted to focus more on more significant events (Majors). Woods didn’t sound like he was adding another "other" event to his schedule before the upcoming Masters in April.
Woods said:
"Here's the deal: Like I told you guys last year, I'm not going to play any more than probably the majors and maybe a couple more. That's it, that's all my body will allow me to do. My back the way it is, all the surgeries I had on my back, my leg the way it is, I just can't. That's just going to be my future.
"So, my intent last year was to play in all four majors, I got three of the four. Hopefully this year I can get all four and maybe sprinkle in a few here and there. But that's it for the rest of my career. I know that and I understand that. That's just my reality."
Despite the comments, fans can note that Tiger Woods could return for the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. Having won the event eight times in the past, the golfer could find some confidence in the event.