Tiger Woods revealed his nasty leg 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 first round at par-over-par in California.
Woods dropped the shot after hitting his second from the fairway into the trees, dropping his club shortly after making contact.
The 15-time major winner recovered to escape with just five and then Woods provided a worrying update on his crunching body.
The 48-year-old said his leg was the result of a back spasm. He revealed that his body was malfunctioning during the last three holes and that his back “locked up” and did not rotate normally.
Tiger Woods hit a nasty leg on the 18th hole of his first round at the Genesis Invitational
The 48-year-old dropped his club shortly after making contact as the ball sailed to the right.
“I stabbed him,” Woods said with a smile. ‘My back was spasming on the last few holes and was locking up. I went down (on my follow) and it didn’t move.’
When asked when he last hit a mango, he added: “It’s definitely been a while.”
Woods has undergone several back surgeries, including one to fuse his lower spine. He was also involved in a near-fatal car accident after the Genesis Invitational in 2021.
Woods headed to the treatment table after his round and told the Golf Channel, “We’ve got some treatment ahead of us… to get ready for tomorrow.”
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Woods, 48, last played in the PNC father-son Championship with his son Charlie in December.
Woods, the tournament host at Riviera Country Club, played his first round of an official PGA Tour event since last year’s Masters 10 months ago after recovering from ankle surgery.
He recorded five birdies and five bogeys in the first 17 holes, never falling below 1 under par or above 1 over. But then came the surprise hit from the 18th fairway that crashed into the trees to the right of him.
His recovery shot, a stinger around a large tree, left him with a 15-foot par putt, but the ball missed left.
The Genesis Invitational is the third flagship 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 shots behind leader Patrick Cantlay.
