Tiger Woods Suggests His Genesis Invitational Could Be on the Move

The PGA Tour's Los Angeles stop has always been a staple of the early season but could move to the summer as all ideas, Woods said, are on the table.

Tiger Woods, pictured Tuesday with Genesis president and CEO José Muñoz, said it's possible that the tournament could be played later in the year in a reimagined PGA Tour schedule. | Tracy Wilcox/PGA Tour via Getty Images

PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. —  This week marks the 100th playing of what over the years has been known as the Los Angeles Open, which has always been played in the early-season winter months going back to its inception in 1926.

But the PGA Tour schedule that has mostly seen the same West Coast events for decades is in the throes of change, and Tiger Woods—the tournament host at the Genesis Invitational—admitted that the longtime event at Riviera Country Club could be moved to another month.

Genesis and Woods’s TGR Foundation announced a four-year extension of the title sponsorship agreement for the $20 million signature event.

But future dates are not secure, and while there are some scheduling hurdles at Riviera due to other events, it is possible the tournament could get a summer date as part of the season-ending playoffs.

“You’re not going to get weather like this,” Woods said Tuesday during a news conference at Riviera as he referred to the cool, rainy temperatures that are not expected to rise out of the 50s all week. “That’s number one. We’re going to have perfect days. It’s always perfect in SoCal here in August.

“So yes, we’re looking at things like that. Looking to go to bigger markets later in the year for the playoffs. Just trying to make our competitive model better. How do we do that? I think that is one of the options with Genesis. That is certainly on the table.”

Woods, 50, is not playing this week as he recovers from disk replacement surgery.

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But he’s been busy in his roles as a member of both the PGA Tour Policy Board and the PGA Tour Enterprises Board as well as the Future Competition Committee. Brian Rolapp, the new PGA Tour CEO who appointed Woods to the competition committee, was in attendance.

Under Rolapp, a former NFL executive, the committee is charged with a new leaner, meaner PGA Tour, one that could see fewer tournaments but moving to places or locations where they are better suited.

PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp, pictured last year, was also in attendance Tuesday at Riviera. | Tracy Wilcox/Getty Images

Among the ideas floated has been to start the season later, perhaps as late as after the Super Bowl in February. That might mean some longstanding events either get dropped or moved. And the idea of playing a playoff event at Riviera is certainly appealing.

There are some concerns with that, however. Riviera is set to host the Olympic men’s and women’s golf tournaments in July 2028. And it also has the 2031 U.S. Open (as well as this summer’s U.S. Women’s Open).

Changes for competition’s sake, which could include the FedEx Cup playoffs

Woods said the reason for making changes is simple.

“We’re going to get more top players playing and we’re going to make it more competitive,” he said. “We have fewer [exempt playing] cards, so that in itself is going to make it more competitive just to be out here.

“I think it’s trying to serve literally everyone, from the player side of it, from our media partners, from all of our title sponsors, from the local communities or even changing venues and going to bigger markets.

“It’s what do we need to do from a competitive model to make our tour the best product it can possibly be each and every year and still have room for development. How do we do all of that at the same time? That’s been the challenging part because there’s been a lot of moving parts over the last couple years to try and get us into the position that we’re in now.”

Improving the competitive model suggests changes to the FedEx Cup playoff model that is now in its 20th year.

The format has undergone several changes over the years and is likely to see more. It’s possible that the signature event model is changed or that the playoff structure is different.

“We’re looking at everything,” Woods said. “Some things that we’ve taken a look at we’ve nixed off the table and there’s other opportunities that have grown and we’ve flushed out. As I said, the player directors have been unbelievable trying to figure all this out because we represent the player body and we’re trying to create the best product we possibly can for all our partners and fans and everyone who’s involved.

“Whatever that looks like, whether it’s us staying here in southern California, whether it’s us staying here at this time and date or us moving to August or some other time, we’re looking at everything. It changes day-to-day, so if you ask me tomorrow, that might change.”