Woods to be a `playing host' at Genesis Invitational next week
Tiger Woods confirmed Wednesday he will make his first PGA Tour start since the Masters at the Genesis Invitational next week at Riviera, a tournament he hosts.
Woods posted on social media that he was “excited to be a playing host” when the PGA Tour's next signature event with a $20 million purse starts on Feb. 15.
Woods also teased about his announcement Monday of new apparel now that he has ended a relationship with Nike that dated to 1996 when he turned pro. “The vision remains the same,” he wrote.
Riviera is the course Woods has played the most times — 12 as a pro — without winning. He withdrew after 36 holes at Riviera with the flu in 2006 and did not return until 2018. A year ago, he tied for 45th. He next played the Masters, making the cut and then withdrawing during a rainy weekend, had ankle surgery and did not return to golf until December.
The Genesis Invitational is a limited field for top performers. Woods will be playing on a sponsor exemption.
MONEY FLOWING >> The PGA Tour plans to make $750 million of initial grants from its new cash-flush PGA Tour Enterprises to 36 top players determined by their career, their last five years on tour and how much attention they have brought to golf.
Commissioner Jay Monahan said in a memo to players Wednesday that $180 million from the $1.5 billion investment of Strategic Sports Group would go to players based on a three-year performance, all other players and 36 “legends” who helped build the PGA Tour.
The equity owners was a key component of the deal announced last week with SSG — a consortium of American pro sports owners and led by Fenway Sports Group — investing as much as $3 billion in PGA Tour Enterprises. The deal also involves equity ownership opportunity for 193 players, including those no longer active.
MLB
GUERRERO CASHES IN >> Vladimir Guerrero Jr. won a record $19.9 million in salary arbitration on Wednesday when a threeperson panel picked his request rather than the Toronto Blue Jays' $18.05 million offer. Scott Buchheit,
Walt De Treux and Jeanne Charles made the decision a day after listening to arguments. Players have a 6-2 lead in hearings this year with 10 cases pending.
Guerrero topped the previous high awarded from a hearing — the $14 million Seattle outfielder Teoscar Hernández received after he lost last year.
A three-time All-Star first baseman, Guerrero hit .264 with 26 homers and 94 RBIs last year, when he had a $14.5 million salary. He is eligible for free agency after the 2025 season.
JUNIS SIGNS >> Right-hander Jakob Junis and the Milwaukee Brewers finalized a one-year contract that includes a mutual option for 2025. Junis, 31, went 4-3 with a career-best 3.87 ERA in four starts and 36 relief appearances for the Giants last season, striking out 96 and walking 21 in 86 innings.
TWINS TRANSACTIONS >> The Minnesota Twins finalized their $5.25 million, one-year contract with first baseman Carlos Santana and added to their bullpen Wednesday by signing right-hander Jay Jackson and claiming right-hander Zack Weiss off waivers.
Jackson, who had a strong 2023 season with Toronto, got a $1.5 million, one-year contract.
TRADE >> The Baltimore Orioles acquired utilityman Nick Maton from the Detroit Tigers for cash. Maton hit .173 with eight home runs and 32 RBIs in 93 games for the Tigers last season. He has played in 180 major league games in three seasons with the Tigers and Philadelphia
Phillies.
Skiing
SHIFFRIN SITS >> American ski racer Mikaela Shiffrin will skip giant slalom and slalom races this weekend in Andorra to give her knee more time to mend. Shiffrin, who's chasing her sixth overall World Cup title this season, was hurt in a crash nearly two weeks ago during a downhill event in Italy. Although she avoided major damage to her left knee, she said she's dealing with an MCL sprain along with a sprain of the tibiofibular ligament.
Shiffrin, 28, doesn't have a timetable for a return. She currently leads the overall standings by 95 points over Lara GutBehrami of Switzerland — a margin that could be eclipsed this weekend.
Television SABAN ON “GAMEDAY” >>
Nick Saban is joining ESPN's “College GameDay,” the long-running Saturday pregame road show he appeared on as a guest so frequently during his 17 seasons as Alabama coach. The network said Saban will be an on-set analyst, joining host Rece Davis and regulars Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso, Desmond Howard and Pat McAfee.
Saban, 72, retired last month, ending a 28-year career in college coaching that included seven national championships.
WNBA
ACES RE-SIGN PARKER >> The Las Vegas Aces re-signed two-time MVP Candace Parker, a missing piece late
last season when they won their second consecutive WNBA championship.
Parker, who has three championship rings, averaged 9.0 points and 5.4 rebounds a game last season as the Aces got off to a 16-2 start, but underwent season-ending foot surgery, causing her to miss the rest of the season. Still, the Aces went 34-6 and later beat New York in four games in the WNBA Finals.
Tennis
DJOKOVIC IN SOCAL >> World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is returning to the BNP Paribas Open for the first time in five years in pursuit of a record sixth title in the Southern California desert.
Djokovic last competed at Indian Wells in 2019, when he lost in the third round. Djokovic didn't play here the last four years because he wasn't vaccinated against COVID-19. The U.S. required noncitizen visitors to be vaccinated through last spring. Djokovic won the tournament in 2008, 2011, 2014, 2015 and 2016.
Horse racing
CARD POSTPONED >> Santa Anita postponed Friday's nine-race card to give time for horses to return to a normal routine after training was suspended last weekend. Regular training will resume Friday and racing will be held Saturday. This Friday's races will be run on Feb. 15.
“We got over 10 inches of rain since Sunday afternoon, but the forecast looking forward is very good,” said Nate Newby, the track's general manager.