The PGA Tour informed its membership this week that it has not made a decision on the status of the Genesis Invitational, an annual signature event scheduled to take place Feb. 13 to 16 at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, near where a deadly wildfire burned thousands of structures, many of them homes, and forced thousands to flee.
Riviera was evacuated but has not been damaged by the Palisades fire, which had burned more than 5,000 structures and 20,000 acres as of Friday morning. The blaze was 8% contained, according to fire officials.
Options for the PGA Tour include postponing the tournament, holding it at a different location or proceeding with it as planned. Considerations include 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.
In a letter to membership, the PGA Tour said it is “monitoring the devastating fires in Los Angeles County. At this point, it is premature to discuss the potential impact on the Genesis Invitational. Although the Riviera Country Club has not been directly affected by the fires, our immediate concern is the health and welfare of those in the affected communities, including all our members who have ties to Southern California. We will keep the membership updated as the situation develops.”
The Palisades fire engulfed the upscale community, with huge portions of its residential district as well as businesses completely destroyed. At least one death had been reported as of Friday morning.
“The Palisades fire is one of the most destructive natural disasters in the history of Los Angeles,” Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said.
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.
Pacific Palisades appeared more like a moonscape of destruction than an upscale neighborhood known for its ocean views, beautiful vistas and celebrity denizens.
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. It is scheduled to play host to the men’s and women’s golf competitions at the 2028 Olympic Games in L.A.
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