Tiger Woods plays his first competitive round of 2024 as Patrick Cantlay leads on seven under
Riviera Country Club is the venue for 2024 Genesis Invitational. This is the third PGA Tour Signature Event of 2024 with a prize fund of $20,000,000. This event will include a halfway cut after 36 holes. Riviera Country Club is a par 71 with three par fives, four par threes and 11 par fours. In round one Greens ran 12 on stimpmeter.
Charley Hoffman qualified for this event after losing in a play-off to Nick Taylor at last week’s Waste Management Phoenix Open. Hoffman took an early lead after playing his front nine in four under. Tiger Woods played his opening round with Justin Thomas and Gary Woodland. The second early big group was Tom Kim, Jordan Spieth and Patrick Cantlay. Spieth started with an opening birdie and reached two under after an incredible shot from 191 yards on hole two. Cantlay got off to a superb start with been three under after four holes.
Woods and Woodland achieved opening birdies but a disappointing par for Thomas. Woods had 174 yards for his second shot at hole two which resulted in a bogey after a 15 foot par miss. Woodland got off to a fantastic start with three birdies in a row. Thomas played two holes in 10 shots one par and a bogey. Woods second shot from 173 yards came to rest in a greenside bunker and was unsuccessful in achieving a par. Thomas hit a great shot from 151 yards on hole three and held his birdie putt as he returned to level par.
hole four at Riviera played 233 yards and Woods made a timely birdie putt to play four holes in even par. Woods playing partners Woodland and Thomas both dropped a shot on hole four. Spieth and Cantlay were making plenty of birdies as both reached four under after six holes. Woods, Thomas and Woodland all finished hole five with pars. Early leader Hoffman finished with two birdies to shoot 69. Woods hit a sensational shot at 181 yard par three sixth and held his birdie putt to reach one under.
Woodland dropped back to one under with a bogey on hole six. Woodland responded brillantly as he returned to two under after seven holes. Thomas finished the front nine with two bogeys to shoot 38. After nine holes Thomas three over, Woods one under and Woodland two under. Cantlay hit an extraordinary second shot from bunker and held a 25 foot putt to reach five under after eight holes. Spieth matched Cantlay with a birdie of his own at eight to also reach five under.
Cantlay and Spieth both shot an impressive front nine of five under. Kim made one birdie and eight pars to shoot a front nine of 34. 301 yard par four 10th hole caused drama yet again on day one as Woods dropped a shot and Woodland & Thomas could only achieve a par. Spieth and Cantlay both took advantage of par five 11th to reach six under. Woodland held an exceptional 40 footer for eagle to play 11 holes in four under. Woods returned to one under with a birdie on 11. Thomas was the only member of group to par 12 with Woods and Woodland playing the same hole in a combined three over.
Cantlay achieved fantastic birdies at both 13 and 14 to reach eight under. Thomas hit an excellent shot from 142 yards and held his birdie putt as he returned to two over. An unbelievable up and down from Woods to remain level par after 13 holes. Kim’s highlight of day one was holing his bunker shot for birdie on 14. Spieth dropped a shot at 14 and played his final four holes in even par to shoot 66. Cantlay made a mess of 16 but managed to escape with a bogey. Woods second shot from 203 yards on 15 came up short and failed to achieve a par.
Woods & Thomas both achieved birdies on 17 but an extremely poor four putt from Woodland would result in a bogey. Cantlay achieved pars at 17 and 18 to shoot a superb round of 64. Woods second from 176 yards on 18 was an unfortunate shank which resulted in a closing bogey. After day one Cantlay seven under, Spieth five under, Kim two under, Woods & Thomas one over and Woodland one under. Hovland made an unbelievable birdie from 146 yards to reach two under. 2023 FedEx Cup champion played his first six holes in four under. Hovland reached four under after 11 but finished with three bogeys in seven holes to shoot 70.
Will Zalatoris achieved a birdie to play seven holes in five under. Zalatoris made his sixth birdie on the front nine to shoot 29. Zalatoris only achieved one birdie on his back nine to shoot 66. The big afternoon groups included world number one Scottie Scheffler and number two Rory McIlroy. Scheffler got off to a quick start with playing two holes in three under. McIlroy reached two under after a quality iron shot at hole five.
Scheffler dropped a shot on hole four but bounced back immediately with a birdie on five. McIlroy made two good par saves at six and eight to shoot a front nine of 33. Clark played with McIlroy and 2023 US Open champion made four birdies in five holes to reach one under. Scheffler played an amazing chip shot to reach four under after 10 holes. McIlroy hit an extraordinary 3 wood and a good two putt to reach three under after 10 holes.
McIlroy and Scheffler both had disappointing pars at the reachable par five 11th hole. Scheffler missed 12 and 13 green which resulted in playing these holes one over. McIlroy found trouble on 12 and returned to two under. McIlroy duffed his third shot at 15 which resulted in dropping two shots. Scheffler’s struggles with the flatstick continued as he had a bad three putt bogey at 16. McIlroy hit a poor eight iron at 167 yard par three 16 and Northern Irishman dropped five shots in two holes.
Scheffler played a great chip shot and achieved a birdie at 17. Scheffler shot an opening round of 68 and is four behind Cantlay. McIlroy hit a fantastic iron shot from 281 yards on 17 and settled for a tap in birdie. McIlroy’s playing partner Max Homa was unlucky that his third shot didn’t go into the hole for eagle on 17. McIlroy was unsuccessful in achieving a closing par and shot an opening round of 74.
Clark finished with two pars to shoot 71. Homa is on two over after day one. Morikawa finished with an exceptional birdie to shoot one under. Woods, Seamus Power, Thomas, McIlroy and Homa all need good second rounds to make halfway cut.