May 2023 Issue
A large gallery surrounds Tiger Woods in the qualifying rounds as well.
Left: 2023 winner Jon Rahm
Right: Owner Sou Watanabe
Tiger Woods competes for the first time in three years
Tiger Woods excited to participate for the first time in three years
US L. A. Riviera Country Club (RCC), the flagship of the Riviera Group, held the PGA Tour's Genesis Invitational in February this year. The Tiger Woods Foundation has been operating this tournament since 2, and it was upgraded to an invitational tournament in 2017. The total prize money will be $2019 million (800 billion yen), an increase of $2000 million from last year, and the winner's prize will be $26 million (4000 million yen).
This year's event received a lot of attention, as expected, with Tiger Woods participating. Although he overcame a serious injury in February 2021 and returned at the Masters last April, he has not participated in a regular PGA Tour event since October 2. It was his first appearance at the Genesis Invitational in three years.
For Tiger Woods, the RCC is a memorable place where he made his first appearance on the PGA Tour at the age of 16. That's why participating in this tournament was always his goal during his rehabilitation after surgery.
The huge gallery that packed in to watch Tiger Woods play watched his every move, with almost everyone trying to get a photo of him hitting the shot, especially on the tee and on the 18th hole. held up their smartphones and were transfixed by the heroic figure of the fighting legend. Some people in the gallery wore matching red and black clothing and costumes. It has been the most popular event in recent years.
Above all, the sight of him dragging his right leg, which at one point was threatened with having to be amputated, iced it, and playing despite the pain, moved many people. Just before the tournament, Tiger Woods said, ``I had surgery on my lower back and my leg hurts, but as long as I play, I always aim to win.''But after the match, Tiger Woods said, ``This is my best score since returning from a car accident.'' "I had the best round in terms of finishing in 26th place (tied for 4th). Walking all four days was also a big improvement. I didn't win, but the tournament was a great success and I won!" he said with satisfaction. He talked to me.
I'm already looking forward to watching each player's serious competition next year.
A great feat for the first time in 48 years, a battle that held your breath until the last hit.
This year's winner was Jon Rahm. Although he briefly lost the lead to Max Homa, who won the year before last, he showed the tenacity to regain the lead soon after. This is the first time in 2 years since Johnny Miller in 3 that he has won three times in just two months since his first tournament on the PGA Tour. In addition, they have returned to number one in the world rankings for the first time since March last year.
Transforming the PGA Tour
Genesis Invitational becomes a top tournament
Starting next season, the tour will change its format to include four major tournaments, The Players Championship, three playoff series, and eight other tournaments as top tournaments, with the number of participants narrowed down to 4 to 3 players, with all players playing four rounds. . The Genesis Invitational was selected as the top tournament. Previously, 8 players competed in the preliminary rounds, and only those who passed the tournament advanced to the finals, which took place over two days later.However, the way the tournament is enjoyed has changed in that you can watch the top players play over four days. Expectations will also increase.
Left: 2023 winner Jon Rahm
Right: Tournament host Tiger Woods
Looking ahead to the 100th anniversary, we race through to the Los Angeles Olympics
The grass on RCC's course is characterized by Kikuyu grass, which is elastic and rough enough to get your club entangled, and Poana grass, which is a strong green. Therefore, even professional players struggle with the difficulty.
To keep the turf in top condition, RCC course maintenance staff work from before dawn. As they continue to improve the greens every day, they have their sights set on the RCC's 2026 anniversary in 100.
Based on the Riviera Group's common philosophy of ``refining good old things and passing them on to the next generation,'' the course itself has been continually renovated to return to its original appearance, while using the latest technology. We have some major construction work coming up this summer. The 100-year-old clubhouse is also a valuable cultural asset for the Riviera. In order to preserve this history for future generations, we are accelerating efforts to turn the entire clubhouse into a museum.
In 2026, the U.S. Women's Open will be held at RCC for the first time. The RCC will be the venue for the men's and women's golf competitions at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. At some of America's leading golf courses, men's tournaments were the norm, but being able to hold a women's tournament is also significant from the perspective of gender equality. This is an honor for Riviera, which is also committed to SDGs.
Meetings with USGA and IOC officials have already begun. In order to fully demonstrate our 100-year history and charm at these major tournaments, we will continue to refine not only our courses and facilities, but also our human skills.
Course maintenance staff who create the best grass
