The Genesis Invitational will happen away from Riviera Nation Membership within the Pacific Palisades for the primary time since 1998 and outdoors of Los Angeles County for the primary time within the occasion’s close to century in existence.
Event sponsor Tiger Woods advised reporters Monday that the choice to maneuver the invitational was “very troublesome” however in the end mandatory after the firestorms wreaked havoc round L.A. in latest weeks.
Whereas Riviera in some way went unscathed, Woods mentioned 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 constructions and killed a minimum of 12 folks.
The Genesis Invitational’s organizers introduced final week that the Feb. 13-16 occasion might be moved, for this 12 months solely, to Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla and “will embrace quite a lot of Los Angeles-related aid initiatives.” Whereas no info has been launched about these aid efforts, Woods indicated that they performed a big position within the determination to maintain the occasion as shut by as doable.
“I feel it’s essential that we have been capable of 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 mentioned following a TGL match Monday in Palm Seashore Gardens, Fla. “It’s a troublesome state of affairs, and we wish to be very delicate to that, and I feel that as a result of we’re in Southern California, I feel we’re going to have the ability to elevate extra money for all of the losses which have incurred.”
Woods mentioned the organizers have been decided to maintain the occasion out West and likewise thought-about shifting it to Pebble Seashore, Palm Springs, Las Vegas and Phoenix.
“There have been so many alternative choices out on the desk,” Woods mentioned, “and we have 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.