Tiger Woods turned professional in 1996, but that does not mean that it was his first rodeo on the PGA Tour. Thanks to the sponsor exemption, 16 YO Woods made his PGA Tour debut in 1992 at the LA Open being held at Riviera. He carded 72-75 and ended up missing the cut. The experience must have been nerve-wracking and the golfer himself revealed it in 2018 after he went back to the same course in 2018 for Genesis Open.

In an interview with Petros and Money, Woods revealed that he was the “most nervous” he had ever been on a golf course at his debut. Well, it was his first PGA Tour event, so spiked nerves were understandable as the pressure on him was high. But the 48-year-old relayed everything was going in his favor before the game started. He recalled, “I felt fine; I warmed up great. Hit the ball well on the range, putted. My putting felt great. I got to the first tee and, like, no big deal.” He had a Titleist 3-wood in his hand, made a few practice swings, and thought that he just had to hit it in the middle of the fairway.

“But for some reason my legs got heavy,” said the 48-year-old. Further narrating the story, Woods expressed that he took the club back for swing and doubted if he could make it to the top. He asked himself several times, “Should I stop? Not stop?” The questions were running through his mind until he hit the ball on the fairway and made a birdie, commencing his PGA Tour career on Riviera GC.

Woods has been known not to break under pressure; he did not let the doubts stop him from making his first birdie to start a career that would eventually inspire thousands if not millions. Although the 15-time major winner has had a memorable time at Riviera, surprisingly, the course has never been forgiving to him.

Tiger Woods’s unending chase for a win at Riviera

It is quite shocking that the man who won 82 times in his career and hosts a signature event of the PGA Tour at Riviera Golf Club has never won a single time there. Yes, none, zilch, nada. If you want to take a minute to digest this shocking piece of information, we will understand, because we did too! With a career that has expanded for more than three decades, and is still going on, Tiger Woods has made 13 starts on Riviera, but each time he has come home empty-handed.

There was once when Woods had a chance to win, in 1999, the then-Nissan Open, but he came short of a runner-up finish and missed it marginally. But why Woods have never been able to win at Riviera? When the 48-year-old made his 2024 debut at the Genesis Invitational, he told it himself. Woods said, “I have traditionally not putted well here. This is a fader’s delight. Most of the holes are, for a righty, run left to right… Traditionally, throughout my entire career, my iron game has been pretty good, but I have never really gotten hot with the putter at this course. Generally they’re bumpy poa, so it’s been a little bit tricky.” 

Back in February, Woods hoped that maybe in the 2024 season, he would take home a victory from Riviera. However, misfortune struck, and his run was cut short only after round one as he was diagnosed with Influenza and had to withdraw from the event. It is uncertain if Woods will play on Riviera in 2025, but this unending chase to conquer Riviera has been going on for 32 years, and the next season might be to put it to a stop.