Tiger Woods looks to make cut alongside Rory McIlroy at Genesis Invitational round two – live
Tiger Woods is back in action at the Genesis Invitational at the Riviera Country Club in California, playing alongside Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy in the feature group, as he looks to build on an impressive opening round. Woods shot a two-under-par 69 to be tied 27th coming into this second round, while Thomas finished round one on -3 and McIlroy scored -4, three shots back from co-leaders Max Home and Keith Mitchell at seven under par (64).
There was a raucous atmosphere following the trio yesterday and the spotlight will no doubt be on Woods even more intensely today after he was caught passing a tampon to friend Thomas after out-driving his opponent, in what appeared to be a sexist joke. Woods is likely to be asked for his explanation of the prank following the round. Follow all the latest golf news as well as live updates from the Genesis Invitational below.
Tiger Woods at the Genesis Invitational - LIVE
Woods carded 69 on return to competitive action
Trio start on tenth hole as Woods sinks back-to-back pars
First birdie of the day for Woods on the 14th to move to one under
Tiger Woods live: Genesis Invitational round 2
17:51
A great approach from the fringe from Woods, chipping and rolling it gently down towards the hole. Just a few feet to putt and save a par, which he does.
McIlroy has a long 23-footer for birdie; he plays it safe and soft and it’s just three feet or so away. Par.
Thomas is even further out, 24 feet and uphill, so it’s a much firmer strike and still falls short, but he sinks the second.
Tiger Woods live: Genesis Invitational round 2
17:45
Tiger Woods’ ball has landed just up against a divot on the fairway of the 18th. He doesn’t look too happy about it but he’ll have to play from there.
His line isn’t perfect and he’s in the rough beside the green.
Tiger Woods live: Genesis Invitational round 2
17:34
It’s 180 to the hole on Woods’ third and his iron shot lands about six feet away. Magnificent strike. The putt is fine and he’s one under again.
Thomas with a brilliant birdie to go three under; Rory just misses his own one to go six under. Par instead.
Tiger Woods live: Genesis Invitational round 2
17:26
Much more to come as Tiger Woods and his group walk down the long 17th fairway.
Elsewhere, Keith Mitchell tops the leaderboard eight under, Max Homa is just behind on seven under.
Tiger Woods live: Genesis Invitational round 2
17:20
Here we go again as the group move on.
A long par five then, 604 yards on the 17th. Bunkers down the right side to avoid down the fairway and again at the bunker.
Tiger at the tee: 176 mph, cracked down the fairway but it bounces away and into the bunker. Not looking too happy just now.
Easier-looking swings from McIlroy and Thomas as they hit the middle of the fairway and the green will be in sight in two.
Some work to do for Woods to manage the same.
Tiger Woods live: Genesis Invitational round 2
17:15
Lovely first shot to leave Woods with a five-footer, but he misses a fourth short-range putt and has to settle for par.
Only just missing out on a birdie is McIlroy, almost sinking from eight feet, it’s par also.
Unfortunately, Thomas has undercooked his with a roll past the hole and it’s a two-putt for par there too.
Tiger Woods live: Genesis Invitational round 2
17:08
Thomas back to two under after sinking a birdie, pars for Woods and McIlroy this time out. Routine work for the group and they head to the par three 16th.
Woods’ first birdie of the day came on a par three so he’ll be hoping for another great tee shot to set him up for the chance of another - and yes, he’s nailed it again. About four feet away perhaps.
Thomas and McIlroy both on the green safely, a little further out.
Tiger Woods live: Genesis Invitational round 2
16:58
Woods’ fine drive puts him 118 yards from the pin and he has a very nice line - but he doesn’t like the shot and it drifts short and left, failing to find the green and bouncing away. Strange shot.
Thomas puts his far closer, maybe six from the hole, with McIlroy going short from the right side.
Tiger Woods live: Genesis Invitational round 2
16:53
The 15th is a par four, 487 yards. Not too many birdies here yesterday and a big bunker in the way - Woods clears it with his drive and it’s straight down the fairway. That’ll be a decent wedge approach to the green for him and perhaps he’s warming up a little now.
McIlroy hits the rough, Thomas the fairway behind Woods.
Tiger Woods live: Genesis Invitational round 2
16:50
A very routine putt for Tiger for his first birdie of the day and back to one under.
Rory’s putt has a good line but just short of pace from 23 feet. He sinks the second and that’s a par.
Thomas clips his second onto the green and is six and a half from the hole for par - and he sinks it nicely.
Tiger Woods live: Genesis Invitational round 2
16:44
A shorter par 3, just 192 yards now on the 14th.
McIlroy hits the green and his groove, Thomas goes right and into the bunker. Tiger Woods next, looking to give himself a chance of a first birdie of the round - it’s exceptional. He has put it within a foot. The crowd like it, it’s fair to say.
Tiger Woods live: Genesis Invitational round 2
16:36
Just under 140 yards to the hole for Woods on his second shot. The crowd step back for his shot and cheer as ever - but it bounces just shy of the green. His first putt places him to five feet out and he needs to sink this for par after two disappointing short attempts already today - and that’s a third. A grimace as it rolls past. Bogey, and he’s down to even par.
Thomas misses another chance of a birdie as he continues his malaise of sorts at the start, but McIlroy sinks a second birdie in a row to go five under.
K.H. Lee has just racked up a triple bogey on his first hole of the day, a less than ideal start, while Collin Morikawa sinks a long birdie to take a share of the lead on seven under.
Tiger Woods live: Genesis Invitational round 2
16:25
Onto the 13th, par four, 459 yards.
Thomas goes just over 300 on the drive, centre of the fairway and about eight feet from McIlroy’s.
Woods sends one hanging to the right and it’s into the crowd again. Not too clean there.
Looking elsewhere on the field, Spieth is three over as he sinks a par; Keith Mitchell shares the lead on seven under, he’s at the 15th.
Tiger Woods live: Genesis Invitational round 2
16:21
Woods from a deep bunker on his third shot, clips it up...and very nearly in! It rolls a few feet past in the end but that was very nearly brilliant. From 14 feet he can’t sink his put and so Woods posts his first bogey of the day. The putter not quite up to scratch so far this morning in California.
McIlroy then steps up and lands the first birdie of the day in the group with a beauty of a chip of his own! Thomas falls well short and will need a decent putt from eight feet - and sinks it. Saves par, still two under. Tiger one further back.
Tiger Woods live: Genesis Invitational round 2
16:14
So it’s 180 yards to the hole for Tiger on his second shot. Slight downslope after the ridge he’s stood at.
Looks like he’s landed that one in the bunker. Frustration still etched on his face.
Thomas just goes wide from the green, McIlroy finds the centre of it before it bounces and runs off behind.
Tiger Woods live: Genesis Invitational round 2
16:08
Woods’ tee shot from the 12th is wayward and the crowd are advised to move pretty quickly - it’s off into the tree line and he’ll need a decent sight to get back on track.
McIlroy follows suit and his ball bounces off a shoe or two as it trickles off the fairway; JT then goes a little closer to landing on the fairway but it’s still in the rough. Par four, 479 yards this time.
On the leaderboard, Max Homa leads on seven under.
Tiger Woods live: Genesis Invitational round 2
16:04
McIlroy chips from 14 yards and almost holes for a birdie - it just rolls by and he taps in from a foot for par. Thomas, for par from six and a half feet - it’s slightly right to left but he sinks it nicely.
For Tiger he has placed himself very nicely, just over four feet from the hole for a first birdie of the day.
He lines it up...but it’s both hard and marginally low below the hole. Another par and he looks frustrated at that - two inside ten feet he has been unable to take advantage of to start the day.
Tiger Woods live: Genesis Invitational round 2
15:53
Just over 270 to the hole for Woods. All three grouped together after the tee shot; Thomas and McIlroy slightly further to go - and the former hasn’t quite found his line yet. Into the trees with his second shot. McIlroy ends just shy of the green and then it’s Tiger’s turn - similar distance to McIlroy but better sight line for the approach, perhaps.
Elsewhere, Justin Rose and his group are underway after starting from the tenth.
Tiger Woods live: Genesis Invitational round 2
15:46
McIlroy finishes with a bogey, dropping to three under. Thomas had just under eight feet to go for a par on the tenth himself - it’s a bogey there too though and he’s now two under, same as Tiger.
Onto the 11th they go and the par five, 583-yard hole sees Woods bring out his driver for the first time today.
It’s straight and 267 yards or so, just bouncing off the fairway into the edge of the rough.
Tiger Woods live: Genesis Invitational round 2
15:42
McIlroy’s birdie putt is left short and he faces an uphill last six feet.
Eight feet ten inches for Woods, looking to start the day on a birdie - he’s just short and taps in for a par. Solid start, though he gives a shake of the head at the missed opportunity.
Tiger Woods live: Genesis Invitational round 2
15:35
Also already in action today are Matt Wallace, Troy Merritt, Matt Fitzpatrick and plenty of others. Later on, Jordan Spieth, Collin Morikawa and Scottie Scheffler are grouped together, as are Justin Rose, Hideki Matsuyama and Shane Lowry. Our main focus will be on Tiger Woods’ second round and his group.
Tiger went 243 yards on his tee shot, nicely placed for an approach to the green. Thomas was left short and with a tougher approach, needing to navigate two bunkers - which he does not. Into the sand.
Woods, 82 yards to the hole, lays it up nicely and gets enough backspin to keep it on the green.
Tiger Woods live: Genesis Invitational round 2
15:28
Rory tees off first to plenty of acclaim from those watching on at the tenth. Justin Thomas follows suit - and then it’s Tiger Woods.
As is ever the case, the cheers and support for Woods are stronger and longer than for his rivals, and all the camera phones are out to follow his swing.
A bogey on this hole yesterday, but a nice start straight down the fairway on this par 4.
Tiger Woods at the Genesis Invitational
15:23
Woods will be teeing off his second round in just a few minutes - he’s grouped with Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas today and they’ll be starting from the 10th hole.
Tiger Woods caught playing bizarre tampon prank
15:14
Tiger Woods finds himself at the centre of controversy and confusion after appearing to hand playing partner Justin Thomas a tampon during his competitive return to golf at the Genesis Invitational.
Woods was playing alongside Thomas and Rory McIlroy in his first appearance in seven months and appeared to play a prank on his fellow American after outdriving him on the ninth hole.
As Woods and Thomas walked side by side, the 47-year-old forced something into his playing partner’s hand.
Thomas took a moment to see what the item was before throwing it to the ground, with both players then bursting out laughing as they continued to walk along the fairway.
But footage then picked up that the item in question was a tampon, in what seemed to be a suggestion from Woods towards Thomas that he was playing like a woman.
Full details:
Tiger Woods caught playing bizarre tampon prank
Tiger Woods cards 69 in first round at Genesis Invitational
15:07
Tiger Woods marked his return to competitive action with a closing trio of birdies as he carded 69 during the first round of the Genesis Invitational.
The tournament host was five strokes back from co-leaders Max Homa and Keith Mitchell at Riviera Country Club, after not having played an event without the use of a cart since last summer’s Open Championship, when he missed the cut at St Andrews.
The 47-year-old’s legs held up on a day where he mixed five birdies with three bogeys on a mild California afternoon.
“I was able to fight back and get it going,” Woods said after play. “It was a nice finish.”
Tiger Woods in action at Genesis Invitational
14:59 , Sport staff
Welcome to the Independent’s live coverage of Tiger Woods’ second round at the Genesis Invitational, as the golf icon marks his comeback to competitive action.
Woods will tee off at 3:24pm GMT on Friday.
