A handful of the nation’s best golfers had gathered nearly 3,000 miles from their hometown of Los Angeles for a strange indoor competition where they struck balls into an enormous screen, but their heads and hearts were with those affected by the destructive wildfires raging through Southern California.
And although they didn’t know much about plans for the Genesis Invitational, a signature PGA Tour event with a $20-million purse scheduled to take place Feb. 13-16 at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, they had plenty to say about the fire victims and ways they might assist.
“We’re trying to just figure everything out and make sure that everyone is safe and we have meetings scheduled going forward,” said Tiger Woods, who mentioned that he knows “a couple people that have lost everything” in the Palisades fire.
“But as of right now, we’re not really focused on the tournament,” Woods added. “It’s more about what we can do to help everyone who’s struggling, who’s lost homes and had their lives changed.”
Woods and others suggested the best solution might be to hold the Genesis Invitational at a different location rather than cancel or postpone it. But they made it clear no decision has been made. Riviera was spared damage but is smack in the middle of a burned-out Pacific Palisades neighborhood that is currently inaccessible and under evacuation orders.
Woods sponsors the Genesis Invitational, and the legendary golfer who grew up in Orange County also is a founder of the TGL, short for the TMRW Golf League, a simulator experience that staged its second tournament this week at the SoFi Center — not to be confused with SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. This venue is on the campus of Palm Beach State College in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Max Homa, left, and Tiger Woods of the Jupiter Links Golf Club react Tuesday as they fall behind the Los Angeles Golf Club. The two golfers say they have been following the wildfires in Los Angeles County.
(Marta Lavandier / Associated Press)
So it was from this perch while playing not exactly golf that Woods and fellow PGA Tour veterans with SoCal roots — Max Homa, Collin Morikawa and Sahith Theegala — talked about the ongoing devastation from fires and the future of Riviera.
“I know that these natural disasters happen far too often. However, this was the first one I can remember where every news clip, every time someone mentioned an area, I could picture it so well,” said Homa, who was born in Burbank and raised in Santa Clarita. “It was very eerie. Fortunately, all my friends and family are safe. Houses not necessarily still all intact, but it was nice to be able to talk to quite a few people, and I think their perspective has been amazing about, ‘Hey, we’re safe, and that’s what matters most.’”
Theegala was raised in Chino Hills and attended Pepperdine, driving daily down the Pacific Coast Highway to the Malibu campus. The home of the sister of his caddie, Carl Smith, was destroyed by fire.
“When you see it right in front of your eyes, it’s as real as it gets and it’s scarier than any media portrayals, scarier than anything that’s being described,” Theegala said.
The relentless blazes have been on Morikawa’s mind for days.
“I get to that point sometimes when you think it’s over but it’s not,” said Morikawa, who grew up in La Cañada Flintridge. “Winds are picking up, fires are still going, people are still out there fighting fires, protecting their houses, helping their neighbors, helping communities.”
Not many insiders are even speculating about what the PGA Tour will do with the Genesis Invitational, although host Rex Hoggard of the Sirius XM PGA Tour Radio’s “Golf Channel podcast with Rex and Lav” did say he spoke to a Riviera member and came away with this impression:
“I spoke with a member today at Riviera and he said the club is fine. The golf course didn’t receive any damage. The clubhouse hasn’t received any damage. But everything around it is devastated. … This member told me they’re still in evacuation mode. People can’t really get anywhere near the golf course. You can’t get into the community, even if the golf course is fine.”
Co-host Ryan Lavner added, “I think it would be such a drain on the resources of that community. I don’t know how you have it there, what is it three weeks away now? I just don’t see it happening.”
The podcast mentioned that the Genesis Invitational could possibly move to Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, the La Quinta Country Club that is currently hosting the American Express tournament, or the Torrey Pines Golf Course, where the Farmers Open will take place Jan. 22-25. The TPC Scottsdale, Ariz., course that will host the Waste Management Open Feb. 6-9 is another option.
Looking ahead to the extensive and staggeringly expensive recovery from the fires has raised concerns about L.A. hosting three major sporting events over the next three years. World Cup matches are scheduled for SoFi Stadium in the summer of 2026. Then comes the 2027 Super Bowl, followed by the 2028 Summer Olympics.
None of the region’s stadiums or arenas are damaged so far, giving event organizers and government leaders confidence that plans might not need to change.
“Los Angeles is defined by its resilience and determination,” Casey Wasserman, chairman of the LA28 organizing committee, said in a statement. “The strength of our communities and our unity in tough times make this city extraordinary, and when Los Angeles welcomes the world in 2028, our spirit will shine brighter than ever before.”