Tiger Woods revealed his nasty shank on the final hole of his return to the PGA Tour was the result of a back spasm.
The 48-year-old bogeyed the 18th hole to finish his opening round at one over par in California.
Woods dropped the shot after hitting his second shot from the fairway into the trees, dropping his club shortly after making contact.
The fifteen-time major winner recovered to escape with just a five and then Woods gave a worrying update on his creaking body.
The 48-year-old said his shank was the result of a back spasm. He revealed that his body was acting up during the last three holes and that his back was ‘locked up’ and not turning as normal.
Tiger Woods hit a nasty shank on the 18th hole of his opening round at the Genesis Invitational
The 48-year-old dropped his club shortly after making contact as the ball squirted to his right
“I shined it,” Woods said, smiling. “My back strained the last few holes, and it locked up. I came down (during my follow-up exam) and it wasn’t moving.”
When asked when the last time he hit a shaft was, he added, “It’s definitely been a while.”
Woods has undergone a number of surgeries on his back, including surgery on his lower back. He was also involved in a near-fatal car accident after the 2021 Genesis Invitational.
Woods walked to the treatment table after his round and told Golf Channel, “We have some treatment ahead of us… to be ready for tomorrow.”
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Woods, 48, last played in the father-son PNC Championship with his son Charlie in December
Woods, the tournament host at Riviera Country Club, was playing his first round of an official PGA Tour event since last year’s Masters – 10 months ago – after recovering from ankle surgery.
He carded five birdies and five bogeys through the first 17 holes, never falling lower than 1 under par or going higher than 1 over. But then came the surprise shaft of the 18th fairway that shot into the trees to his right.
His recovery shot, a stinger around a large tree, gave him a 15-foot putt for par, but the ball missed to the left.
The Genesis Invitational is the third signature event of the 2024 season. That means the top 50 players and ties will make the cut after 36 holes.
Woods was tied for 55th at the end of the first round, eight strokes behind leader Patrick Cantlay.