LOS ANGELES — Tiger Woods and Justin Thomas are separated by about 17 years on the calendar and 70 victories on the PGA Tour, neither of which has kept them from becoming friends away from golf.

Thomas first met Woods in 2015 on the range at The Players Championship his rookie year. They grew closer a year later during some of the darker moments for Woods when his back was killing him, he wasn’t playing and had days where it was tough to walk. His future was never more uncertain.

Both are represented by Excel Sports, and Thomas asked agent Mark Steinberg if it was OK to reach out to Woods. Thomas and Rickie Fowler became regular visitors.

“I was thinking about him and wanted to hang out,” Thomas said. “That’s when we became close. He couldn’t do much. We wanted to make sure he was still positive, not getting down on himself, that we were still believing in him.”

Now they seem to spend as much time on the golf course.

Woods and Thomas will be playing together the opening two rounds of the Genesis Invitational, joined this year by Steve Stricker, as Woods goes for his record 83rd victory on the PGA Tour. It’s the third straight year that Thomas and Woods have been in the weekday groups at Riviera, which probably isn’t a coincidence, especially now that Woods is the tournament host.

Thomas was asked late last year why Woods likes him.

“I don’t know,” he said. “To be honest, because I don’t view him as Tiger Woods. I view him as one of my buddies. I needle him. To be perfectly honest, I don’t kiss his (behind) like some people do. I absolutely respect him so much, and how much time he’s given me. But it’s just two buddies hanging out.”

They seem to hang out a lot inside the ropes. Even though Thomas and Woods have played in the same event only 35 times since Thomas joined the PGA Tour in 2015, they already have played together in 14 rounds.

More alarming is the record. In the early years for Woods, it was rare for anyone to have a higher percentage posting the lower score. In the 14 times Woods and Thomas have been in the same group, Thomas has a 10-1-3 advantage.

The only time Woods got him was the final round in the Bahamas last year, and Thomas is still fuming.