PGA Tour to relocate February's Genesis Invitational due to fires near Riviera Country Club

Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times on Jan 16, 2025

Published in Golf

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LOS ANGELES — The PGA Tour has decided to relocate next month's Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades because of the wildfires in the Los Angeles area.

"The PGA TOUR's focus continues to be on the safety and well-being of those affected by the unprecedented natural disaster in Greater Los Angeles," the PGA Tour said Thursday in a statement. "We are grateful for the life-saving efforts of first responders and the tireless work being done to put an end to the tragic wildfires."

The PGA Tour said the Genesis Invitational will be played at an alternate location Feb. 10-16, and it plans to announce the venue in the coming days.

"The PGA TOUR is identifying the most impactful ways the tournament can support the Los Angeles community and the ongoing relief efforts," said the PGA Tour, which encouraged fans to show support at pgatour.com/supportla.

Riviera, scheduled to play host to men's and women's golf at the 2028 Olympic Games in L.A., was part of the Jan. 7 evacuation order. In an earlier memo to players, the tour said the course was not directly affected by the Palisades fire.

Options for the PGA Tour included postponing the tournament, holding it at a different location or proceeding with it as planned. Considerations included getting players and fans into Pacific Palisades as recovery efforts are underway, a dearth of nearby lodging and the optics of playing a golf tournament amid one of the most horrific natural disasters in the history of the region.

The fire has killed at least 10 people and burned 23,713 acres and numerous homes, businesses and landmarks in Pacific Palisades and westward along Pacific Coast Highway, toward Malibu. As of Thursday afternoon, the fire was 22% contained.

Many parts of Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Calabasas, Brentwood and Encino are under evacuation orders or warnings. More than 12,000 structures remain threatened. Officials estimate that more than 5,000 structures, including many homes, have been destroyed or damaged.

The country club and golf course is wedged between the east end of Pacific Palisades and Brentwood, about two blocks east of West Sunset Boulevard and one block northwest of San Vicente Boulevard at 1250 Capri Drive. The course opened in 1927 as the Los Angeles Athletic Club Golf Course and the main clubhouse, built in a Spanish revival style, followed in 1928.

The PGA Tour event, originally known as the Los Angeles Open, was the site of Tiger Woods' tour debut as an amateur when he was a high school sophomore in 1992. The Genesis Invitational has been hosted by Woods since 2019, with proceeds benefiting the nonprofit TGR Foundation.

Riviera has been the venue for the U.S. Open, PGA Championship, U.S. Amateur, U.S. Senior Open and the NCAA championships.

Debuting in 1926 at Los Angeles Country Club as the Los Angeles Open, the tournament was staged at various courses throughout the Los Angeles area before permanently settling at the Riviera Country Club in 1973. Known as the site of Jack Nicklaus' professional debut and with 25 champions in the World Golf Hall of Fame, the tournament and Riviera have seen many major moments in golf history.