Why the PGA Tour’s Genesis Invitational Might Be Worth Your Time
By Stratton Sims: Alpha Media USA
“I’m ready to play an ACTUAL PGA Tour event next week,” were the words that would send the golfing world into a frenzy.
Tiger Woods, arguably the best golfer to ever walk the earth, tweeted out this statement last week during the Waste Management Open in Phoenix, Arizona, claiming his return to the 2024 PGA Tour season.
In his return, Woods will tee it up at the tournament that he is host of, and also where he made his PGA Tour debut back in 1992, at Riviera Country Club located in Los Angeles, California, in what-was the Nissan Los Angeles Open at the time. Not only will Tiger Woods be playing in the field at the star-studded event. OWGR (Official
World Golf Ranking) players such as world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm and many other top-class golfers are in the hunt for part of the $20,000,000 purse.
Woods is set to go off the no.1 tee box at Riviera alongside playing partners Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas at 2:04 p.m. CST.
Another familiar face that will be among the insides of the rope at the country club, is Texas Tech’s own Jack Wall, a senior with the opportunity to make his PGA Tour debut this week at the Genesis. After defeating Alex Goff of the University of Kentucky on the second hole of a playoff to win the 2023 Collegiate Showcase on Monday, the Red Raider earned an exemption into this week’s PGA Tour stop.
Wall had the opportunity to shake hands and speak with tournament host Tiger Woods following his playoff win on Monday, and even had the opportunity to take pictures with the hall of fame golfer, which made it to Woods’ twitter page. The transfer from the University of South Carolina now holds the title of the Collegiate
Showcase, etching his name among past winners such as Scottie Scheffler, Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala.
Wall is not the only one on the Texas Tech squad that has seen success this year, as senior Ludvig Aberg, currently the top amateur golfer in the world according to WAGR (World Amateur Golf Rankings) has also played in a DP World Tour Event in Dubai earlier this year.
Aberg, playing under an exemption due to his high ranking within the PGA Tour’s University Velocity Global Rankings, would hold a share of the lead at seven under par after the first round, but would drop to T-70, finishing the tournament at three under overall. The Texas Tech men’s golf team just recently kicked off the spring-swing of tournaments, already winning its first test, the ACC/BIG 12 Match Play, where they faced the University of North Carolina.
The team has six more tournaments remaining, including the BIG 12 Men’s National Golf Championship, which is set to be played at Prairie Dunes Country Club located in Hutchinson, Kansas.
Wall looks to make the most of his PGA Tour debut, being the last group to tee off in the Genesis on Thursday, partnered along with Yeongsu Kim from South Korea, starting on the no. 10 tee box at 3:10 p.m. CST.
The Genesis Open will be available for viewing on streaming platforms such as PGA Tour Live or ESPN+, as well as coverage provided by the Golf Channel and CBS.
