Tiger Woods says flu led to withdrawal from Genesis Invitational

Tiger Woods has opened up on what caused his sudden withdrawal from the Genesis Invitational tournament earlier this week, saying he came down with a case of the flu. 

Woods, 48, withdrew on Friday and early reports indicated that he had to do so because of an unknown illness, which he clarified via X on Saturday. 

"I am resting and feeling better," Woods' post said. "Good luck to the players this weekend. I'm disappointed to not be there."

Woods abruptly withdrew after hitting his tee shot on the seventh hole during the second round of play. 

"He started feeling some flu-like symptoms last night," said Rob McNamara, the Executive Vice President of TGR Ventures, Woods' company. "Woke up this morning, they were worse than the night previous. He had a bit of a fever and that, and was better during the warm-up, but then when he got out there and was walking and playing, he started feeling dizzy."

McNamara says that the withdrawal has nothing to do with an injury. 

"His back's fine," he said. "It was all medical illness, dehydration."

It was just Woods' sixth PGA Tour event since February of 2021, when he was in a violent car crash in Rancho Palos Verdes that left him with multiple fractures to his right leg and ankle. 

He's only finished two of those events, playing all 72 holes in the 2022 Masters and last year's Genesis Invitational. 

Last year, after withdrawing from the 2023 Masters, Woods underwent  a "subtalar fusion procedure to address his post-traumatic arthritis from his previous talus fracture.," according to a statement he released on X at the time. 

This year's tournament was his first PGA event since having his ankle fused in April 2023. 

Prior to withdrawing on Friday, Woods was among the 11 golfers tied for 49th overall,  one shot over 72 and eight shots off the tournament lead. 

Woods, who hosts the Genesis Invitational, has played in 16 versions of the event, beginning in 1992 when he was just 16-years-old. He has yet to win, however. 

"I have traditionally not putted well here," Woods said to reporters on Wednesday. "This is a fader's delight, most of the holes are, for a righty, run left to right. I've driven it well here. There are small greens and traditionally throughout my entire career, my iron game has been pretty good, but I have never really gotten hot with the putter at this course."

At the end of play on Friday, former UCLA standout and Long Beach native Patrick Cantlay led at 13-under 129.

Despite recent health struggles, Woods is still tied for the most all-time victories on the PGA Tour with 82 after winning the 2019 Zozo Championship.