Tiger Woods is back and everyone is celebrating the golf superstar. Even before his first tee off in the Pacific Palisades, California, he is surrounded by a crowd of people who enthusiastically cheer him on again and again. "Tiger, tiger," echoes across the square. Woods didn't expect any of this anymore.
Golf superstar Tiger Woods made a successful comeback on his return to the US tour in Los Angeles. The 15-time major winner needed 69 shots in the first round at the Genesis Invitational in Pacific Palisades, Calif., and is tied for 27th with two under par.
"I finally got some good shots and some putts," said Woods. "Even though I had a little mishap on the 10, I was able to fight back and get the game going again. It was a nice finish." The 47-year-old, who felt more and more comfortable as the round progressed, played a birdie on each of the last three holes.
The numerous fans were enthusiastic about Wood's comeback. Already at the first tee, the spectators cheered the superstar and chanted "Tiger! Tiger". For Woods, who couldn't fully devote himself to the adoring fans, it was "a lot louder" than he expected.
"I probably should have appreciated the fans more than I did but there was so much going on in my head trying to hit the ball in the right places and with the right feeling because I haven't done that in a while done more," said Woods, who planned to put ice on his injured leg all night.
Last year, Woods had only made nine tournament starts as he continued to recover from injuries sustained in a car accident in February 2021. The US star had been on the tee for the last time last summer at the British Open in St. Andrews.
However, at his favorite course on the east coast of Scotland, Woods was a disappointment and was eliminated after just two laps. "I had a few tears in my eyes and I'm not someone who bursts into tears very often about anything," Woods said at the time. "It was very emotional for me because I just don't know what's going to happen with my health."
