Tiger Woods withdrew from the 2024 Genesis Invitational on Friday, marking the third time the 15-time major champion has pulled out of a tournament in his last six PGA Tour starts.
Woods was seen riding passenger in a cart after he withdrew from the tournament. He hit his tee shot on the par-4 seventh hole, finding the fairway before deciding to withdraw from the PGA Tour event he hosts.
The 82-time PGA Tour winner was transported toward the clubhouse at Riviera, where he was given an IV. An ambulance showed up to the clubhouse and had onlookers concerned that Woods was facing something much more serious. However, Woods' long-time business associate Rob McNamara clarified that Woods had been dealing with a flu-like illness.
"He started feeling some flu-like symptoms last night. Woke up this morning, they were worse than the night previous," McNamara explained.
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"He had a little 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. Ultimately the doctors are saying he's got potentially some type of flu and that he was dehydrated. He's been treated with an IV bag and he's doing much, much better and he'll be released on his own here soon."
McNamara said that Woods' withdrawal had nothing to do with his legs or back, all of which have been surgically operated and the cause of most of Woods' physical problems over the course of his career.
"Not physical at all, his back's fine," McNamara said.
Woods will return on Saturday to continue hosting the PGA Tour Signature event, ultimately presenting the trophy to the tournament winner on Sunday. The tournament winner will earn $4 million.
After 36 holes, or two rounds, of the tournament, Patrick Cantlay leads the now-reduced weekend field of 51 players on 13-under 129.