The Genesis Invitational is returning to the Riviera Country Club following its temporary relocation to Torrey Pines Golf Course because of the 2025 LA wildfires. But its return might not be as smooth as many would expect. 

Andy Lack, the founder of Inside Sports Network, took to X and revealed, “No idea how Riv is going to dry out. LA a puddle right now :/. Will play long, wet, and cold.”

Responding to Lack’s X post, a fellow golfer wished for the PGA Tour officials to “move the West Coast swing to summer or fall.” After all, playing at courses like the Riviera Golf Course during the puddle season seems like a disappointment. 

Soon, Lack responded with, “From what I’ve heard, Pebble and Riv moving to August next year as part of the new “playoffs” is a done deal.”

As of now, Los Angeles is experiencing heavy rainfall, with officials monitoring for potential flash flooding.

A flash flood warning issued for central and southern LA County last afternoon. And videos of cars struggling through the rising water levels on flooded roadways are going viral on the internet. 

Moving the events to August would give the players enough time to prepare and let the LA-based golf course get to its peak condition. Meanwhile, the PGA Tour is likely bringing more events to big cities. 

Is the PGA Tour Really Revamping the Future Model?

The executive director of THE PLAYERS Championship, Lee Smith, recently talked to the media and said, "I think you'll see a lot more of that that will come out, especially over the next month or two as that group continues to meet and they continue to focus on what that future model of the PGA Tour looks like.”

The PGA Tour used to hold tournaments every year in big cities like New York, Chicago, Washington D.C., and Boston. But those events gradually disappeared. Some spots were even lost to LIV Golf. And that has become a problem for the PGA Tour. 

Now, the focus seems to be on avoiding the football postseason and “owning the summer” in front of a larger audience. For a long time now, the first two events (January) on the tour in Hawaii might get dropped off and moved to cities with a stronger presence. 

But do you think shifting the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Genesis Invitational to August from next year will be a turning point for the tour?

Written by

Krushna Pattnaik

Edited by

Joyita Das