Tiger Woods has started his 2024 PGA Tour campaign with the Genesis Invitational. Make no mistake about it; Tiger back on the course is great news. But even Tiger Woods shanks a shot every once in a while. After a round that featured 5 birdies, the lasting image from his opening round is a good ole hosel knocker. Even Tiger Woods shanks a shot now and then.
Bounce Back
Tiger was able to bounce back nicely after the dreaded s-word with a miraculous shot from the trees. And even though he could not save par on the hole, the magic is still there. After the round Tiger explained the shank in a way that only Tiger could, saying "I presented hosel first". I've never heard it put that way, but I will definitely break it out next time I pull the same stunt. Full disclosure, Tiger's back spasms might be the reason for the horrific shot on 18. After the round telling the media that his backs stated seizing up over the final couple of holes. He is even coming up with excuses that I would use with my buddies on the golf course. Kudos Tiger.
Some Good
I'm highlighting the shank from the round. But there are some good things that came out of Tiger's first competitive round since The Masters last year. He managed to find the fairway on 10 of his 14 tee shots, including 7 of his first 9 shots off the tee. The putting and short game is not where Tiger wants it to be. He missed more than a couple of makeable putts that could have seen Tiger get to red numbers. It's not the worst start in the world for the former #1 golfer in the world. But there are definitely building blocks for Tiger to build off of. Hopefully he can get four rounds in at The Genesis in preparation for The Masters in April.
