The Genesis Invitational will happen away from Riviera Nation Membership within the Pacific Palisades for the primary time since 1998 and out of doors of Los Angeles County for the primary time within the occasion’s close to century in existence.
Event sponsor Tiger Woods informed reporters Monday that the choice to maneuver the invitational was “very tough” however finally needed after the firestorms wreaked havoc round L.A. in current weeks.
Whereas Riviera by some means went unscathed, Woods stated the membership “is simply not prepared” to host a signature PGA Tour occasion with a $20-million purse after the Palisades fireplace scorched greater than 23,400 acres, destroyed greater than 6,800 buildings and killed at the very least 12 individuals.
The Genesis Invitational’s organizers introduced final week that the Feb. 13-16 occasion shall be moved, for this 12 months solely, to Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla and “will embody quite a lot of Los Angeles-related aid initiatives.” Whereas no data has been launched about these aid efforts, Woods indicated that they performed a big position within the choice to maintain the occasion as shut by as potential.
“I believe it’s necessary that we had been in a position to keep in Southern California as a result of everybody who’s born and raised out in Southern Cal can all relate to the fires,” Woods stated following a TGL match Monday in Palm Seashore Gardens, Fla. “It’s a tough scenario, and we need to be very delicate to that, and I believe that as a result of we’re in Southern California, I believe we’re going to have the ability to increase extra money for all of the losses which have incurred.”
Woods stated the organizers had been decided to maintain the occasion out West and in addition thought-about transferring it to Pebble Seashore, Palm Springs, Las Vegas and Phoenix.
“There have been so many alternative choices out on the desk,” Woods stated, “and we had been attempting to be understanding to all of the victims.”
The Genesis Invitational began because the Los Angeles Open in 1926. It was first hosted at Riviera in 1929 and has been held there 60 occasions, with a return already slated for 2026.
