Tiger Announces Early Commitments, But Are These Venues Prudent For His Return?

Its always news any time Tiger Woods announces he’s playing in an event. The headlines are even larger when Woods returns to a hopeful full schedule. Most figured he’d travel to Torrey Pines first where he’s won 8 times and the site of his last major victory in 2008. Check. Then to maybe Riviera CC for his Genesis Open. Double check.

But some believe Torrey Pines’ tough venue might not be the most prudent choice to stage a successful comeback. The Morning Read’s Alex Miceli draws up a compelling case for Woods to re-think his itinerary.

When I heard that Woods announced on Twitter that he would return at Torrey Pines and then two weeks later go to Riviera for the Genesis Open, I had to shake my head and wonder, What is he thinking?

Many golf observers will recall that Woods won eight times at Torrey: seven during the PGA Tour’s annual West Coast Swing and the thrilling 91-hole marathon in the 2008 U.S. Open, his last major championship.

So, why shouldn’t he return to Torrey Pines? Simply, it’s too difficult of a place to start the season after a year on the bench.

The North and South courses, which are used for the first two rounds, are brutal. Add the quality of the field, and it’s like leading a lamb to the slaughter.

Since 2013, the last time Woods won at the San Diego-area muni, he has finished T-80, WD and MC. He has not broken par since a second-round 71 in 2014. 

Torrey Pines certainly will help remind Woods of eight of his 79 PGA Tour victories and cloud the fact that he hasn’t won in 4½ years and dropped to No. 656 in the Official World Golf Ranking. Yet a return to Riviera, where he has enjoyed no measurable success in 11 appearances, makes no sense.

Woods play looked promising at his cherry-picked no-cut Hero World Challenge in December. But Torrey Pines and Riviera CC are entirely different animals. Its all another reason why Tiger’s current playing persona is such a headline-grabbing mystery at this early stage of his return to competitive play.