Tiger Woods warmly WELCOMES Charley Hoffman at Genesis Invitational after denying him sponsor’s invite

As Charley Hoffman arrived at Riviera for Genesis Invitational, Tiger Woods was there to welcome him after denying him the Sponsor’s invite earlier on.

Tiger Woods warmly WELCOMES Charley Hoffman at Genesis Invitational after denying him sponsor’s invite

Charley Hoffman (L) and Tiger Woods (R) [Image via PGA Tour/Imago]

Charley Hoffman secured his place in this week’s Genesis Invitational, hosted by Tiger Woods, with an unexpected second-place finish at the WM Phoenix Open. It turned out to be a remarkable moment for Hoffman, as he openly shared that he had requested a sponsor’s invitation from Woods to play in this tournament, only to be turned down.

After being denied the sponsor’s invite, he was not expecting to see his name in the playing field this week. Hoffman recently revealed that he was planning to go on a skiing vacation. However, he had to postpone this plan due to his participation.

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As per reports from Golf Digest, as Hoffman made towards the course, Woods was reported to be the first man to greet him. During this meet, the 82-time PGA Tour winner would applaud his hardwork and said “Good job, old man“.

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The two of them are practically the same age. It’s safe to say that this was just a case of experienced gentlemen being themselves.

How is the Genesis Invitational shaping up after Round One?

This week the PGA Tour made a stop at the Riviera Course for the Genesis Invitational. The second marquee event of the season sees a limited field of stars who have either earned their way through this field with their hard work or received special invitations.

On Thursday, eight-time PGA Tour winner Patrick Cantlay emerged as the leader. The American international fired a brilliant 7-under 64 to take a one-stroke lead.

Patrick Cantlay
Patrick Cantlay currently leads at the Genesis Invitational (Image via ESPN)

The race for the top spot is extremely tight at the moment. Along with Jason Day, Cam Davis and Luke List are all tied for second place, just one shot behind Cantlay.

As the leaderboard goes down, things just more tighter. A total of 13 golfers including Charley Hoffman are tied for 15th place after shooting a score of 69. Meanwhile, 15 players are tied for 28th spot after firing 70 in Round One.

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While Tiger Woods is tied for 49th spot along with his friend Justin Thomas, the biggest surprise of all is Rory McIlroy. The North Irishman had a disappointing showing on Thursday with two back-to-back double bogeys in the final few holes. This has raised concerns regarding him failing to make the cut in this signature event.

It is likely that the leaderboard will shake up once again on Friday. Can Cantlay hold on to this Round one lead is something that is interesting to see.

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