Tiger Woods-hosted Genesis Invitational to be relocated due to L.A. wildfires

The PGA Tour is moving the Genesis Invitational out of Riviera next month out of respect for the deadly wildfires that have decimated parts of Los Angeles, including the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood where Riviera is located.

Still to be determined is where the $20 million US signature event, with Tiger Woods as the tournament host, will relocate for Feb. 13-16.

One option is another golf course that already is part of the West Coast Swing, away from Los Angeles, which would limit the costs and hours required to build out a tournament site with everything from grandstands to corporate hospitality to television structures.

Riviera, which sits just south of Sunset Boulevard and about 4 miles from the Pacific Ocean, was not damaged in the fires that have killed at least 25 people and destroyed more than 12,000 structures.

Woods said real life carries more weight than the tournament.

"It's just sad," Woods told reporters in the SoFi Center after his debut TGL match on Tuesday. "Max [Homa] and I have grown up there. We're SoCal kids. To see what has happened, I've known a couple of people who lost everything, so it's just hard.

"As far as the Genesis, we're just trying to figure everything out and make sure that everyone is safe and we have meetings scheduled going forward. But as of right now, we're not really focused on the tournament. It's more about what we can do to help everyone who's struggling, who has lost homes and had their lives changed."

The tour has resisted any decision until some movement had been made on containing fires. It decided to relocate in collaboration with title sponsor Genesis, Riviera Country Club and TGR Live, which hosts the event.

The announcement of a new venue is expected in the coming