The Genesis Invitational is relocating locations following devastating wildfires across Los Angeles, including the Pacific Palisades area, home to Genesis’ annual host, Riviera Country Club.
PGA Tour organizers announced Thursday afternoon that the dates for the Feb. 13-16 signature event, presented by the Tiger Woods Foundation, will remain the same, although Tour organizers hope to identify an “alternate location” in the “coming days.”
While several fires remain active, the Palisades Fire alone has burned more than 23,000 acres, destroyed nearly 3,000 buildings and killed eight people as of Thursday morning, according to Cal Fire. The fire, which broke out on Jan. 7, is now 22% contained and officials are still investigating the cause of the fire.
The Riviera itself was spared, although most of the communities north and west of the estate were not so lucky.
While 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 south of Thousand Oaks, has hosted professional events in the past, including the 2020 Zozo Championships, which were moved from Japan due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The tour could also utilize existing facilities such as Torrey Pines or PGA West, which will host American Express this week.
It wouldn’t be the first time a given golf course has hosted multiple Tour events in the same season. During the pandemic-affected 2019-20 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 2022-2023 season featured fall schedules with the same six spots.
