The US Professional Golf (PGA) Tour Genesis Invitational (total prize money of $20 million), which will be held at the Riviera Country Club (par 71) in Palisades, near Los Angeles, USA, for four days from the 17th (Korean time), is the hottest golf game this year. It is expected to be a contest.

This is because ‘Golf Emperor’ Tiger Woods (USA), who disappeared from the PGA Tour regular tournament for nearly 7 months, was added to the list of players.

After missing the cut at The Open in July last year, Woods said he needed to rehabilitate and train more, and he did not play in the PGA Tour regular tournament.

He made an appearance at the PNC Championship, an event competition last December, but it was a two-day event and he played while riding a cart.

He didn’t stand out too much in his game either.

This time, it is a regular tour event where you have to walk all 4 rounds, so it is an opportunity to observe how much Woods’ stamina and performance have recovered.

Experts excluded Woods from the championship list, and gamblers also predicted that Woods’ chances of winning were very low.

Although Woods’ stamina and performance are recovering, it is analyzed that it is too early for him to compete with young players for championships.

However, just the fact that Woods participated regardless of his performance and rankings heated up the competition메이저사이트

Fellow players unanimously welcomed Woods’ return to the field, and the Genesis Invitational Organizing Committee expects a crowd of goorm galleries.

Woods’ long-standing relationship with the Riviera Country Club also became a hot topic again.

Nicknamed ‘Augusta of the West’, Riviera Country Club is where Woods first got his chance to play on the PGA Tour while still in high school.

Woods participated in the PGA Tour LA Open at the Riviera Country Club in 1992 when he was 16 years old as an invited player, and the following year he appeared as an invited amateur player.

Born and raised an hour away from Riviera Country Club, Woods is all too familiar with Southern California golf courses, but has never won 14 PGA Tour events at Riviera Country Club.

This is the only course on which Woods has not won more than 10 times.

Woods has a bitter affinity with the Riviera Country Club, but since 2018 he has hosted the tournament and has raised it to a top-notch event.

After 2020 and until last year, he played the role of host by guarding the course all week, even if he could not compete due to injury.

Another point to watch is the second match between Scotty Scheffler (USA), Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), and Jon Rahm (Spain), who have built a strong ‘troika’ system this year.

Schaeffler, who regained the world No. 1 ranking by winning the WM Phoenix Open, is aiming for the championship for two weeks in a row.

McIlroy, who ended up with an unexpected result of a tie for 32nd at the WM Phoenix Open, the first PGA Tour event he participated in this year, looks like he will seek revenge.

Rahm, who has won two wins this year and climbed on a scary rise, is aiming for three wins.

2022 champions Max Homa, Xander Chopley, Colin Morikawa, Patrick Cantlay, and Justin Thomas (above USA) are also considered favorites to win.

Lim Seong-jae (25) was also mentioned by experts as a player with a high chance of winning.

CBS placed Lim Seong-jae in the 9th place with a chance to win, and Sports Edge also predicted Im Seong-jae as the 9th most likely to win, which is higher than Morikawa, Will Jaratoris, Cameron Young (above the United States) and Victor Hoblan (Norway).

Lee Gyeong-hoon (32), Kim Si-woo (28), Kim Seong-hyeon (25), and Kim Joo-hyung (21) will also participate.

Kim Young-soo (34), who won the Korea Professional Golf (KPGA) Korean Tour Genesis Championship last year, was also invited, and there are six Korean players.

Joaquin Niemann (Chile), who won the event last year, joins LIV Golf and is out of action.