Tiger Woods cancels Genesis Invitational: loss of his mother hurts

Tiger Woods cancels Genesis Invitational: loss of his mother hurts

Tiger Woods has surprisingly withdrawn from the Genesis Invitational at the famous Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, California. The 49-year-old golf star is mourning the loss of his mother, Kultida Woods, who died on Tuesday at the age of 80. “I wanted to tee off this week, but I'm just not ready yet,” Woods said in an emotional post on social media. Despite intensive preparations, he felt unable to take part in the tournament, which benefits his foundation.

Woods announced on Monday that he continues to struggle with the difficult loss of his mother. She planned to travel to California to support her son, which makes the situation even more tragic as she wanted to be very present during the final moments of his career. What is particularly noteworthy is that Woods hosted the tournament and therefore the event has special meaning for him bostonglobe.com reported. Woods' retirement wasn't entirely unexpected, as he hasn't played on the PGA Tour since the British Open last summer.

Fateful decisions

The PGA Tour had created a special regulation for Woods to enable him to take part in important events such as the Genesis Invitational, which offers prize money of 20 million dollars. Meanwhile, Jake Knapp will take his place in the tournament. Woods' personal tragedy contrasts with the business challenges the PGA Tour is currently facing, including negotiations with the Saudi sovereign wealth fund for possible investments that also involve Donald Trump.

With the loss of his mother, whom he described as a “force of nature” and “rock-solid support,” Woods once again faces a difficult emotional challenge. This represents a further test of his return to golf, which has already been marked by a serious car accident and health setbacks. Woods hopes to come to Torrey Pines during the week and is grateful for the support he has received since his mother's death laola1.at.