Golf, the events of the week with Tiger Woods

Let’s explore the key events happening in the week from February 12th to 18th. Here are the noteworthy events not to be missed.

Golf, events

PGA Tour – The Genesis Invitational: The iconic Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California, once again hosts The Genesis Invitational, the third major event of the season.

Tiger Woods, the tournament’s host, returns to action for his season debut after unveiling his new clothing line in collaboration with TaylorMade in recent days.

Tiger returns to the course after participating in December’s Hero World Challenge (18th out of twenty players). His last previous appearance was at the 2023 Masters, where he withdrew due to an ankle issue. On Tuesday morning, he played a nine-hole practice round wearing Sun Day Red attire, and as he made his way through the back nine of Riviera, he appeared undisturbed by the ankle problem. At Riviera, he will be accompanied by veteran caddie Lance Bennet, who has previously worked with Bill Haas, Zach Johnson, and Matt Kuchar.

Woods played a solo practice round on Tuesday, where he reacquainted himself with the course and tested a new TaylorMade Qi10 3-wood. At the end of the 18th hole, Woods stopped to chat with some members of his team and Justin Thomas. Woods and Thomas will have plenty of time to chat on the course as they tee off together for the 1st (09:25 local time) and 2nd rounds (11:54).

Pacific Palisades hosts the third major event of the PGA Tour season with a star-studded field. Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, Xander Schauffele, Wyndham Clark, Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa, Matt Fitzpatrick, Brian Harman, and Ludvig Åberg will all be present at Riviera Country Club. Keep an eye on Charley Hoffman, who finished second last week at the WM Phoenix Open after a playoff with Nick Taylor, who is also present at Riviera CC.

Last year’s winner (and three-time Genesis winner) Jon Rahm will not be in the field due to his move to LIV Golf. He won the 2023 event with a score of 17 under par, beating Max Homa by two shots.

The winner will receive 700 FedEx Cup points and a first prize of $4 million from a total purse of $20 million.

Challenge Tour – Dimension Data Pro-Am: The Road to Mallorca arrives in George this week with the Dimension Data Pro-Am taking place at the picturesque Fancourt Golf Estate.

Fancourt, nestled at the foot of the majestic Outeniqua Mountains, is one of the world’s top golf resorts and offers an unforgettable experience for guests. Visitors can choose to stay in one of the 115 luxurious rooms at the Hotel Fancourt and take advantage of numerous recreational activities.

The Dimension Data Pro-Am, scheduled from February 15th to 18th, will be played on Fancourt’s three courses: Montagu, Outeniqua, and The Links, all three designed by Gary Player, a nine-time Major champion, and ranked among the top 20 golf courses in South Africa. Currently, The Links is ranked number one in the country by Golf Digest South Africa and is the icon of the Fancourt Estate. The Links has hosted numerous prestigious tournaments in the past, including the 2003 Presidents Cup, the 2005 SA Open, and the 2012 Volvo Golf Champions of the DP World Tour.

The male Dimension Data Pro-Am consists of two competitions within the event: the professional leaderboard and the Pro-Am fourballs. Simultaneously, the Dimension Data Ladies’ Pro-Am will also take place on the Montagu and Outeniqua courses, following the same format but over 54 holes and counting towards the Sunshine Ladies Tour for the professional rankings.

In 2023, South African Oliver Bekker became the third player in history to win the Dimension Data Pro-Am on two occasions, following in the footsteps of compatriot Darren Fichardt and Zimbabwean Nick Price. Bekker won the Dimension Data Pro-Am in 2012 before it became a shared event between the Challenge Tour and the Sunshine Tour. The prestigious event boasts an illustrious list of winners, including Major champions like Paul Lawrie, Louis Oosthuizen, Trevor Immelman, Retief Goosen, and Darren Clarke.

Alongside Pietro Bovari, who posted an excellent final round (-5) last week in Cape Town, Luca Cianchetti returns to the field. As we write, Gregorio De Leo and Aron Zemmer are currently reserves number 3 and 5.

LET – Aramco Saudi Ladies International Presented by PIF: For the second event of the season, the LET moves from Kenya to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for what promises to be an exciting fifth edition of the Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by PIF, taking place for the first time in the heart of the kingdom’s capital from February 15th to 18th.

This innovative event offers an incredible prize fund of $5 million, with the field reduced to 70 players. It represents the largest prize fund in the Ladies European Tour, in line with the equivalent male event, the PIF Saudi International, representing a significant milestone in golf.

The tournament seeks to capitalize on the positive momentum of the previous successful “Aramco Team Series,” the first professional golf tournament in the capital. Nearly 5,000 spectators visited the Riyadh Golf Club in October 2023 to witness Alison Lee set a record in a stunning victory with a spectacular score of 61-61-65 (-29).

In 2023, at the Royal Greens Golf and Country Club, Lydia Ko, after her victory in 2021, claimed her second title at the Aramco Saudi Ladies International with an extraordinary final day, recording a score of four under par (68) to finish with an impressive -21. Previous winners of the tournament, always played over 72 holes, include Danish Emily Pedersen, winner of the first edition in 2020, and Giorgia Hall, winner in 2022 after a playoff with Pedersen in 2020.

This year’s edition boasts a stellar field with Major champions, Solheim Cup heroines, and emerging golf stars such as Lexi Thompson, Carlota Ciganda, and Trichat Cheenglab, taking the spotlight.