The devastating inferno that continues to wreak havoc across the Los Angeles metropolitan area has forced the PGA Tour to make contingency plans for next month’s Genesis Invitational.
According to NBC News, the Palisades Fire has expanded its reach to almost 20,000 acres as of Friday morning. Nearly 180,000 people have received evacuation orders as firefighters have contained only six percent of the blaze. Five other wildfires in the Los Angeles area have arisen because of the strong Santa Anna winds and dry conditions in the region. It’s a hellish landscape that has led many to compare this natural disaster — already the most expensive in Los Angeles history — to the apocalypse. This photo of the Los Angeles Chargers practicing before their NFL Wildcard matchup against the Houston Texans supports that notion.
Of course, Pacific Palisades is the home of Riviera Country Club, which hosts the Genesis Invitational every year. The course is a favorite among players, fans, and broadcasters alike. This historic track has welcomed the PGA Tour every year since 1973, with the exception of 1983 and 1998. It has also hosted the PGA Championship twice and the U.S. Open in 1948.
The fire has not yet reached the golf course and the clubhouse, although the inferno is quite visible from the club’s property. The initial blaze began only five miles to the west of Riviera.
Hence, the PGA Tour is considering alternative options to next month’s Genesis Invitational, the tournament slated for Feb. 13-16 that Tiger Woods now hosts.
According to Golf Digest, the PGA Tour sent a memo to its players on Thursday evening.
The memo reads:
“The PGA Tour 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.”
Golf Digest also notes that the PGA Tour could stage the Genesis Invitational at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona. The WM Phoenix Open is the week before, meaning that TPC Scottsdale could host a PGA Tour event in back-to-back weeks.
This would not be the first time these wildfires have affected a professional sporting event. The NFL moved its Monday night wildcard matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and the Minnesota Vikings from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The NBA also postponed Thursday’s game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Charlotte Hornets.
A professional golf tournament requires a tremendous amount of resources and emergency personnel. Considering the disaster the Los Angeles region currently faces, those first responders would be diverted to help contain the fire and assist those who need support. Who knows where things will stand in a few weeks, but right now, the PGA Tour is preparing for alternatives, and rightfully so.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.
