Rivera Country Club, the prestigious venue for the Genesis Invitational hosted by Tiger Woods, is currently facing threats as the Pacific Palisades wildfires rage across Southern California. The course was moved into a mandatory evacuation zone during the early hours of January 8.
Tee Times Pub took to their X (formerly known as Twitter) to post a video taken from an airplane flying above the Los Angeles area. While the course is untouched by fire for now, the video shows just how close it is to the premises. It shows the extent of the fire, with the dark patch of Rivera Golf Club visible just below the blaze.
Here's a look at the scene near the Rivera Country Club:
The account also posted an updated video taken from the golf course itself. The hills surrounding the property can be seen in flames with smoke clouding the air.
According to reports, the fires are moving 240 to 360 yards a minute closer to Woods' tournament's host course. A video of the same was uploaded by Tee Times as well.
While no active fires are reported at the country club itself, the surrounding areas are engulfed in flames. The Rivera Country Club was scheduled to be the host of the Genesis Invitational early in February 2025, as well as the 2026 US Women's Open and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the fire, which was first reported at 10:10 AM on January 7, took over 200 acres of land in just 90 minutes, and in the most recent update that number has reached thousands. Golf enthusiasts and fans are left concerned for the safety and well-being of California's residents as the department continues to deploy manpower to navigate through this colossal calamity.
Since when has the Riviera Country Club played host to Tiger Woods' Genesis Invitational?
The Genesis Invitational (formerly known as the Los Angeles Open) has been hosted by Tiger Woods since 2020. The tournament is played on the Rivera Country Club annually, dating back to 1973.
The course holds a special place in Woods' heart as he made his first PGA Tour debut at the 1992 Nissan Los Angeles Open. The 15-time major championship winner was a 16-year-old amateur golfer in his second year of high school at the time.
Woods returned to the event in 1999 to finish second place on the same course. The Genesis Invitational was first played on the course in 1930. The tournament was granted invitational status in 2018 following the end of The National Tournament which was run by the TGL co-founder's foundation.
Rivera has played host to the tournament over 60 times, produced 25 World Golf Hall of Fame champions, and holds great significance to the world of golf. The 2001 edition of the tournament recorded the second time in PGA Tour history that a sudden-death playoff was held between six players.