PGA Tour Noncommittal to Event at Riviera as Los Angeles Fires Continue

The famed country club has reportedly not been directly affected by the fires, but the surrounding area has seen considerable damage.
Riviera Country Club, shown here during last year's PGA Tour event, is near the scene of the Los Angeles wildfires.
Riviera Country Club, shown here during last year's PGA Tour event, is near the scene of the Los Angeles wildfires. / Harry How/Getty Images

The PGA Tour has sent a memo to players regarding the widespread fires in Southern California and particularly as it relates to Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, home to the annual Genesis Invitational next month.

The Tour said it is too early to make any determinations and is focused on other more important factors in an area that has seen fires cover more than 45 square miles due to dry conditions and strong winds. Local authorities said more than 180,000 people have either been displaced or evacuated.

The Los Angeles area has had approximately 1/10th of an inch of rain since May.

Riviera Country Club has not been directly impacted but there has been considerable damage in the surrounding area, according to several reports.

“The PGA Tour is monitoring the devastating fires in Los Angeles Country,” the Tour said in a statement. “At this point, it is premature to discuss the potential impact on the Genesis Invitational. Although Riviera Country Club has not been directly affected by the fires, our immediate concern is the health and welfare of those in the affected communicates, including all of our members who have ties to Southern California,”

The tournament is scheduled for Feb. 12-15, the seventh event on the 2025 schedule.


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Bob Harig
BOB HARIG

Bob Harig is a senior writer covering golf for Sports Illustrated. He has more than 25 years experience on the beat, including 15 at ESPN. Harig is a regular guest on Sirius XM PGA Tour Radio and has written two books, "DRIVE: The Lasting Legacy of Tiger Woods" and "Tiger and Phil: Golf's Most Fascinating Rivalry." He graduated from Indiana University where he earned an Evans Scholarship, named in honor of the great amateur golfer Charles (Chick) Evans Jr. Harig, a former president of the Golf Writers Association of America, lives in Clearwater, Fla.