Tiger Woods has built a legacy as one of the greatest golfers in history, with 82 PGA Tour wins and 15 major championships. But there’s one course that continues to haunt him, and it’s a place where his legendary journey began-Riviera Golf Club. Despite decades of dominance in the sport, Woods has never conquered the Riviera, a shocking anomaly in his otherwise stellar career.
Woods’ connection with Riviera goes back to 1992, when a 16-year-old Tiger made his PGA Tour debut at the LA Open, courtesy of a sponsor exemption. The nerves were high, and Woods later admitted it was the “most nervous” he’d ever been on a golf course.
Despite feeling great during his warm-up, everything changed when he stepped onto the first tee. “For some reason my legs got heavy,” Woods recalled in a 2018 interview. He questioned himself repeatedly, wondering if he should even complete his swing. Ultimately, he did, making a birdie on his very first hole, marking the beginning of a historic career.
A brush with victory and a dozen disappointments
But as fate would have it, that debut at Riviera also set the tone for a frustrating and elusive quest for victory on that very course. Over the next 32 years, Woods would return to Riviera 13 times, but each time, he left without a win. Even when everything seemed to fall into place, like in 1999 when he came within inches of a victory at the Nissan Open, Riviera proved unforgiving.
In his 2024 debut at the Genesis Invitational, a signature event he hosts at Riviera, Woods opened up about why he has struggled there. “I have traditionally not putted well here,” he admitted.
“This is a fader’s delight. Most of the holes are, for a righty, run left to right… My iron game has been pretty good, but I have never really gotten hot with the putter at this course.”Riviera’s bumpy poa greens have consistently stymied him, preventing him from securing that elusive win.
This year, just when fans were hoping Woods would finally break the curse, misfortune struck again. After an encouraging start in round one of the Genesis Invitational, Woods was forced to withdraw, diagnosed with Influenza. The withdrawal left the golf world wondering if Woods will ever get another shot at Riviera.
With 32 years of near-misses and heartbreak at this iconic course, the question remains: Will Tiger Woods ever conquer Riviera, or will this be the one course that forever remains beyond his grasp? As the 2025 season approaches, all eyes will be on Woods to see if he can finally put an end to this unrelenting curse.