Tiger Woods’ annual PGA Tour stop at Riviera Country Club will be elevated to “Invitational” tournament status beginning in 2020.
This means the winner of what is now the Genesis Open will receive a three-year PGA Tour exemption, the event will offer $9.3 million in prize money and the field will be reduced from 144 to 120 players.
The Genesis Open is managed by TGR Live Events and is held in conjunction with the Tiger Woods Foundation. Woods’ organization has been overseeing this event, first played 93 years ago as the Los Angeles Open, since 2006. He has played the event 12 times (11 times at Riviera) but has yet to win it.
This gives Woods’ annual PGA Tour stop the same status accorded to the Arnold Palmer Invitational, held at Bay Hill Club in Orlando in March, and the Memorial, which is hosted by Jack Nicklaus at Muirfield Village Golf Club in the spring.
“It’s going to give us a week and an opportunity every single year
to reflect upon this man’s staggering accomplishments on the golf course and his staggering philanthropic contributions, something that we’re excited to tell the world for a long time to come,” PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said of Woods in making the announcement.
Riviera Country Club and the Los Angeles Open both hold a special place in Woods’ heart and golf history. Woods grew up in Southern California and made his PGA Tour debut at the 1992 Los Angeles Open as an amatuer.
“We’re just so excited about this opportunity to showcase what we’ve done as a foundation for over 20 years and this elevation status will certainly help
that. It is going to help so many more kids’ lives, and we’re able to do that with a tournament like this,” Woods said.
