Woods feels right at home but still struggles at Riviera
Tiger can manage only 73 at childhood course Coronavirus scuppers European Tour events
If Tiger Woods is finally to break his famous barren run at Riviera Country Club then he will have to set off the fireworks above the Hollywood hills after a mediocre second-round 73.
It is one of the curiosities of Woods’s garlanded career that he has never prevailed at the event near to his childhood home, where his father used to take him as a boy and which now benefits his charitable foundation. In 12 previous appearances, the best he managed was second in 1999.
Among the professional events Woods has entered at least four times, it remains the only one he has not won. He played his first professional event in 1992 as a 16-yearold amateur at Riviera when the tournament was then called the LA Open. The schoolboy shot a 72-75 to miss the cut by five.
Rivera is close to his heart, but is not yet on his resume and his twoover yesterday did not bode well. Three bogeys in four holes on his second nine saw the 44-year-old fall to level par and seven behind the early halfway Genesis Invitation lead, set by fellow American Harold Varner. Nobody should ever say never where Woods is concerned, but even he recognised it will take something special.
“I’m going to have to make birdies if I want to win this event,” Woods said. “I’m so far back right now. Hopefully I can get off to a quick start like I did last year [when he shot a third-round 65 before finishing ninth] and go birdie, eagle, birdie, birdie or something like that. I need a start like that tomorrow to get myself back in this thing.”
In contrast, Justin Rose feels he is exactly where he needs to be – on four under after a second successive 69 – to launch a challenge for his first win for more than a year. Rose was world No 1 this time in 2019, but has dipped to 10th. He opened his PGA Tour year with a missed cut when defending at the Farmers Insurance Open three weeks ago and this return to form has been most welcome for the Englishman.
“I kind of have to make a run on the weekend and play well, but yes, I’m certainly in a decent spot through two days,” Rose said. “I’m about seven out of 10 right now I’m hitting a lot of good golf shots and feeling a lot more comfortable. I’ve just got to get the confidence back.”
Meanwhile, the European Tour confirmed that the Malaysian Championship and the China Open, both due to be staged in April, have been called off because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Keith Pelley, the Tour’s chief executive, said: “The well-being of our players, spectators and staff is always our absolute priority. While it is therefore regrettable that the Maybank Championship and Volvo China Open have been postponed, we feel this is the correct course of action at this time. We are currently investigating alternative dates for both events.”