There will come a time, we assume, when Tiger Woods hobbles off to retirement. For now he limps on to vast galleries with surprised expressions.
That he finished the Genesis Invitational a country mile behind the prime contenders, Jon Rahm and Max Homa, is not remotely the point. For now, amazement can legitimately be drawn from the fact he finished at all, which is no small thing for a 47-year-old man who can hardly walk.
His difficulties in fulfilling the obligations of 72 holes were plain to see in his final round of 73. As with the previous couple of days, the strides through that mangled right leg became laboured around the turn, but there remains enough magic in Woods’s swing for the 15-time major champion to inspire a sense of curiosity about what he might achieve if his aching body permits.
Nothing excessively grand, you would have to predict if sensibly inclined. But the quality of his third-round 67 and the occasional highlights of his final loop – three birdies offset by five bogeys on a day when his approach play and chipping were off colour – showed he can still confound in different ways.
Tiger Woods watches his tee shot on the 15th hole during the final round of the Genesis Invitational golf tournament at Riviera Country Club, Sunday
At the very least, Woods’s first Tour-level event since The Open in July indicated he might yet offer some fun at the Masters in April, having spent a week matching and occasionally bettering the drives of younger beasts like Rory McIlroy.
‘My game is fine,’ Woods. ‘It is rusty, I made some stupid mistakes here and there, but I hit it like I was playing at home.
‘I don’t know (when he will next play). My goal every year is the four majors. I did three of the four last year and hopefully I can do all four this year. That will be my goal because of the limitations I have.’
As for the sharp end of this tournament at Riviera, Rahm won by two shots from Homa. McIlroy, who struggled with a cold putter, finished outside the top 20 on four under after a closing 71.
Tiger Woods of the United States prepares to play his shot on the eighth hole during the final round of the The Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club on Sunday
