PGA fans went on a roller-coaster ride through two rounds of the 2024 Genesis Invitational. Host Tiger Woods withdrew, world No. 12 Jordan Spieth was disqualified and Will Zalatoris won new cars with a hole-in-one.
After finishing at 1 over par on Thursday, Woods ended his Riviera run for the 16th time without a win. The 48-year-old requested to withdraw after teeing-off on the seventh hole due to a flu-like illness, according to TGR Ventures EVP Rob McNamara.
Following a less than desirable first round performance, the second round proved no easier for the 82-time PGA Tour winner. Despite birdieing his first hole, Woods soon found himself carding two consecutive bogeys on the par-3 fourth and the par-4 fifth holes at Riviera Country Club.
This put the tournament’s host outside of the top 50 and more than 10 strokes behind solo leader Patrick Cantlay — as well as below the projected cut line at 1 over par.
Another twist occurred when the PGA Tour announced Spieth’s disqualification just four hours later. Spieth incorrectly signed a scorecard on the par-3 fourth hole, where the Dallas native mistakenly marked himself down for a par, despite actually carding a bogey after missing a five-foot putt.
Spieth went to X later that day to address the error.
“Today, I signed for an incorrect scorecard and stepped out of the scoring area, after thinking I went through all procedures to make sure it was correct,” Spieth wrote. “Rules are rules, and I take full responsibility. I love this tournament and golf course as much as any on @PGATOUR so it hurts to not have a run at the weekend. Really appreciated the support in LA.”
Spieth had a strong opening round at 5 under par but couldn’t maintain the momentum, as he picked up four bogeys and a double-bogey before the disqualification.
Friday’s round of 73 marked Spieth’s worst score of the season so far, and only the second time this year he finished a round with a score in the 70s. This is the first disqualification for the 30-year-old in 263 PGA Tour events he’s played in.
Finally, Zalatoris and his caddie Joel Stock have already secured new Genesis cars regardless of tournament results. The 27-year-old golfer couldn’t have asked for a better par-3 14th hole. His tee shot landed on the front edge of the green from 184 yards out and approached the hole at a perfect speed before rolling in for an ace.
Zalatoris’ hole-in-one brought him back under par for the round. He finished the day at 1 under, bringing his overall score to 6 under par. This is the second ace of Zalatoris’ career; the first was at the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot.
“I think it was 180 pin back into the wind, and we were just trying to hit it kind of right in the middle of that gap between the two bunkers,” Zalatoris said. “I just pulled it about 10 feet, and it landed perfectly on the fringe and killed it. Lucky to go in. It was a nice little bonus.”
Witnessing a hole-in-one is a thrill for any PGA enthusiast, and Stock’s reaction perfectly captured that excitement as he caught his partner in mid-air to celebrate.
“When the crowd went crazy, we went crazy too,” Stock said.
The first player to card an ace on the 14th hole was set to be awarded a Genesis GV80, and their caddie a Genesis Electrified GV70.
Aside from the drama of the first two rounds, the Genesis Invitational continues to host the best talents in golf. Cantlay sits atop the standings with a five-stroke lead, while other players like Luke List and Jason Day are hot on his heels.
With two rounds remaining, the tournament promises an intense battle for the coveted title and $4 million in prize money to the winner.