Get ready for more Torrey Pines.
PGA Tour officially moves Genesis Invitational from Riviera to Torrey Pines South
Because of the tragic wildfires affecting Los Angeles, the PGA Tour has moved the Genesis Invitational to San Diego.
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.
Because of the Los Angeles Wildfires that have inflicted so much destruction, the PGA Tour announced Friday that the South Course at Torrey Pines will host this year’s Genesis Invitational, held annually at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades.
Riviera will return as the host in 2026. The 2025 edition will include several Los Angeles-related relief initiatives.
Of course, Torrey Pines is hosting this week’s Farmers Insurance Open, which used to be a marquee event on the PGA Tour calendar during Tiger Woods’ career. Woods prioritized playing at Torrey Pines every January, perhaps because he exerted his dominance on this layout year in and year out. He won eight PGA Tour events on the South Course, including the 2008 U.S. Open, one of his greatest accomplishments.
Woods made other top pros show up and play too. The crowds, television broadcasts, and overall interest spiked because of his presence, giving Torrey Pines tremendous allure. It has historically served as the start of CBS’ golf season. However, the overall interest in this event has dwindled due to the massive changes the PGA Tour has made in response to LIV Golf. The Farmers Insurance Open is not a Signature Event, meaning many top pros skip out on Torrey Pines, opting to play the three subsequent weeks at Pebble Beach, TPC Scottsdale, and Riviera.
But that will change this year now that Torrey Pines will host the 2025 Genesis Invitational, the third Signature Event of the season. The best players on the PGA Tour will compete on the South Course once again, perhaps making it feel like the mid-2000s once more. Better yet, with Woods serving as host, he will be on the ground at Torrey Pines. Whether he plays or not remains to be seen.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.
