Opportunities for PGA Tour, Genesis Invitational, Riviera

Wildfires, golf and national news are words that don’t usually go together. Yesterday, CALFIRE announced a mandatory evacuation of Pacific Palisades, California due to the ongoing Pacific Palisades Fire. The famous Riviera Country Club is located in Pacific Palisades and is in the mandatory evacuation zone.

While I certainly hope that CALFIRE and the appropriate authorities can keep loss of life and property to a minimum, it does present an interesting conundrum in the world of golf. With the order taking place less than five weeks before the February 13 first round, can the 2025 Genesis Invitational go ahead as planned?

The faster the fires are quickly extinguished, the greater the likelihood that the event can continue. Given recent dry conditions and some unhelpfully strong Santa Ana winds, that might not happen. The longer it drags on, the more likely a change becomes inevitable.

Canceling the event entirely is certainly a possibility — the fate of a handful of Tour events remaining in 2020 due to the pandemic. The Genesis is different – ​​approaching its 100th edition, is a signature event hosted by Tiger Woods and has a prominent place in the game’s history (Hogans Alley anyone?).

Move to later in the season. A look at the 2025 PGA Tour schedule shows open weeks before and after the Procore Championship at Silverado in Napa Valley in early September. Playing Genesis the week before or after Napa Valley could be attractive given its relative proximity. If the Tour goes this way, it would be best to make an announcement soon so the Chargers, Rams, USC and UCLA football schedules can set game times accordingly.

How about keeping the same dates but switching to other venues in the area?

The Los Angeles Country Club hosted Genesis five times in its early years. I suspect the PGA Tour would reach out to the USGA for its playbook during the 2023 US Open, but whether the club would host is the bigger question, especially on short notice. The club’s proximity to the Evacuation Zone may also prove too close for event organizers.

Looking a little further afield, Valencia Country Club hosted the 1998 edition due to preparations for the 1998 US Senior Open taking place at the Riviera. Billy Mayfair beat Tiger Woods in a playoff after both tied at 12-under in four rounds. The club also hosted the AT&T Champions Classic on the PGA Tour Champions from 2001-2009.

The Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage hosted the LPGA Tour’s Chevron Championship from its inception through 2022. The infrastructure is there from its history with the LPGA Tour. The winner jumping into Poppie’s Pond would be a memorable one-time event. The PGA Tour Champions play at Mission Hills a month and a half later for the Galleri Classic.

Speaking of venues in the Los Angeles area on other Tours, El Caballero and Palos Verdes both host the LPGA Tour, Wilshire is a former LPGA Tour host, and Newport Beach hosts the PGA Tour Champions and are all solid venues. However, the golf courses seem too short to adequately challenge PGA Tour players.

Trump International Los Angeles has scenery fit for television, potentially airy conditions to challenge players and enough length to potentially challenge. The concern is whether the size of the property is large enough for what a PGA Tour event requires.

Sherwood Country Club has hosted numerous official and unofficial Tour events over the years – including the early years of the Hero World Challenge. The venue provides a quality test for players, but has limited space for galleries, hospitality and other infrastructure.

Finally, the Tour could reach out to TPC Scottsdale, the Tour venue prior to Genesis, or the somewhat nearby Torrey Pines and see if either venue would be interested in “double-dipping,” as Muirfield Village hosts the back-to-back Tour events did in 2020.

Whatever the PGA Tour, The Genesis Invitational and The Riviera Country Club decide, the clock is ticking.