The esteemed Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California, will not host this year’s Genesis Invitational, the PGA Tour announced on Thursday.
PGA Tour announces Genesis Invitational will be moved from Riviera CC due to LA Fires
Riviera Country Club will not host next month’s Genesis Invitational, the Signature Event hosted annually by Tiger Wods.
Photo by Etienne Laurent/Getty Images
Jack Milko has been playing golf since he was five years old. He has yet to record a hole-in-one, but he did secure an M.A. in Sports Journalism from St. Bonaventure University.
The reason for moving this Signature Event is quite apparent: wildfires across the greater Los Angeles Metropolitan area have wreaked havoc on the region. According to NBC News, firefighters have contained only 22% of the Pacific Palisades fire, which came close to Riviera a few days ago. In fact, the famous club fell within the mandatory evacuation zone last week, and residents had no choice but to flee.
Hence, the tour wants first responders, firefighters, local governments, and hotels to focus their efforts on supporting the displaced citizens of Southern California — not a golf tournament that is of little importance compared to the recovery efforts.
“We’re not really focused on the tournament as of right now,” said Genesis Invitational host Tiger Woods on Tuesday.
“There’s so many other things that are bigger than that. It’s more about what we can do to help everyone who’s struggling, who’s lost homes and had their lives changed.”
Twenty-seven people have unfortunately succumbed to the blazes across the region, while almost 13,000 buildings have been lost. The entire country has rallied around Los Angeles, as the city may face dangerous situations in the coming days. The National Weather Service predicts the infamous Santa Ana winds will pick up again next week, likely re-igniting wildfires in the area.
Therefore, the tour has decided to move the tournament to a location that will be announced in the coming days.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.
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