Pacific Palisades Fire: Options for PGA Tour, Genesis Invitational, Riviera
Wildfires, golf, and national news are words that do not usually go together. Yesterday, CALFIRE announced a mandatory evacuation for Pacific Palisades, California due to the ongoing Pacific Palisades Fire. The famous Riviera Country Club is in Pacific Palisades and is in the Mandatory Evacuation Zone.
While I certainly hope CALFIRE and the relevant authorities can keep the loss of life and property to a minimum, it poses an interesting conundrum in the world of golf. With the Order occurring less than five weeks before the February 13 First Round, can the 2025 Genesis Invitational go ahead as planned?
Of course, the faster the fires are extinguished quickly, the more likely the event can go ahead. 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 altogether is certainly a possibility – the fate of a handful of Tour events back in 2020 owing to the pandemic. The Genesis is different – it is nearing its 100th edition, is a Signature Event, hosted by Tiger Woods, and has a prominent place in the history of the game (Hogan’s Alley anyone?).
Besides canceling the Genesis Invitational, what are potential alternatives?
Reschedule for 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 the Genesis the week before or after Napa Valley could be attractive given its relative proximity. If the Tour goes this route, it would be best to make an announcement soon so the Chargers, Rams, USC, and UCLA football schedules can appropriately set game times.
What about keeping the same dates but changing to other area venues?
Los Angeles Country Club hosted the Genesis five times in its early years. I suspect the PGA Tour would reach out to the USGA for its playbook in running 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 could also prove too close for event organizers.
Looking a bit farther away, Valencia Country Club hosted the 1998 edition due to preparations for the 1998 US Senior Open taking place at Riviera. Billy Mayfair beat Tiger Woods in a playoff after both tied at 12-under for 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 until 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 occurrence. The PGA Tour Champions will be playing at Mission Hills a month and a half later for the Galleri Classic.
Speaking of Los Angeles-area venues 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. The golf courses though appear too short in length to adequately challenge PGA Tour players.
Trump International Los Angeles has the scenery fitting for television, potentially breezy conditions to give players a challenge, and enough length to potentially give a challenge. The concern is whether the size of the property is big enough for what a PGA Tour event calls for.
Sherwood Country Club has hosted several official and unofficial Tour events over the years – including the early years of the Hero World Challenge. The venue poses a quality test for players but has limited space for galleries, hospitality, and other infrastructure.
Lastly, the Tour could reach out to TPC Scottsdale, the Tour venue before the Genesis, or the somewhat-nearby Torrey Pines and see if either venue would be interested in “double dipping,” like Muirfield Village hosting 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.