The Genesis Invitational is moving in the wake of devastating wildfires around Los Angeles, including in the Pacific Palisades area, home to Riviera Country Club, Genesis’ annual host.
The PGA Tour announced Thursday afternoon that the dates for the flagship Feb. 13-16 event, hosted by the Tiger Woods Foundation, would remain the same, although there is an “alternate venue” the Tour hopes to determine in the “the next few days”.
Although several fires remain active, the Palisades Fire alone has burned more than 23,000 acres, destroyed nearly 3,000 structures and killed eight people as of Thursday morning, according to Cal Fire. The fire, which broke out on January 7, is currently 22% contained as authorities continue to investigate the cause of the fire.
The Riviera itself was spared, although much of the community to the north and west of the property was not so lucky.
Although the Tour has not publicly mentioned potential replacement sites, there are some options assuming the Tour wants to stay in Southern California.
Sherwood Country Club, located just south of Thousand Oaks, has hosted professional events in the past, including the 2020 Zozo Championship which was moved from Japan due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Tour could also use an existing venue like Torrey Pines or PGA West, which hosts American Express this week.
It wouldn’t be the first time that a course has hosted multiple Tour events in the same season. During the pandemic-affected 2019-2020 campaign, the Tour held back-to-back tournaments at Muirfield Village, and in 2021, Torrey Pines hosted both the Farmers Insurance Open and the US Open. Additionally, technically the 2022-23 season included bookend fall programs with six of the same venues.
