Tiger Woods Is Back. Here’s a Preview of the 2024 Genesis Invitational
For a while there was a bit of will he or won’t he? Tiger Woods looked strong and healthy at the PNC Championship playing alongside his 15-year-old son, Charlie, in December. So fans, like most commentariat, assumed the Big Cat would make his first PGA Tour start of 2024 in Los Angeles at the event he hosts.
But January went by with no news and Woods waited until the week before the tournament to officially announce he’s playing in theGenesis Invitational (Feb 15 to 18). The man loves to keep us on our toes.
Tiger Woods prepares for a tee shot during practice for the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, CA. Ben Jared/Getty Images A360 Even if he weren’t playing, the Genesis is one of the best non-major events of the year and it heralds the real start to the golf season. As the first full-field “signature event” with a cut, nine of the top 10 and 22 of the best 25 in the world will compete.
The only absentees are players who’ve departed the PGA Tour for LIV Golf: defending champion Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, and Brooks Koepka. Related: The Best Golf Courses in All 50 States: Where to Tee It Up in America Thanks to the PGA Tour’s battle for golf supremacy withLIV, Genesis is contested as one of the Tour’s “Signature Events” (last year it was called a designated event) and features a juiced-up purse.
Players will battle for a slice of $20 million, with the winner banking $4 million as well as a Genesis electric vehicle. Professional golf is in a weird spot at the moment. Players are still defecting to LIV for insane amounts of money, while the PGA Tour morphs into a for-profit model backed by $3 billion from a private equity consortium known as Strategic Sports Group-led by Fenway Sports Group and other team owners from the NBA and MLB. Then there’s a potential merger between the PGA and LIV, but it’s still unclear what a reunified tour would look like. Ben Jared/Getty Images A360 While this all shakes out, fans should find the Genesis Invitational an oasis of normalcy, with most of the big names in golf battling one another for a mountain of cash. Since there’s a cut, half the players will go home with zilch.
But those who climb toward the top of the leaderboard on Sunday will bank some serious cheddar (last year, second and third place paid over $1 million) as well as extra Fed-Ex Cup points for the playoffs. The winner snags a cool 700 points. For comparison, first place at the Waste Management Phoenix Open earns only 500. Joining the field this year, Woods announced Chase Johnson as the 2024 Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption recipient-named for the first African-American on the PGA Tour and winner of the Genesis back in 1979, when it was known as the LA Open. “Chase earned the 2024 Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption with his play over the past year,” Woods says. “He let his game speak for itself, and that’s something I know Charlie would be proud of.
” Related: How to Survive 18 Holes at the Longest Golf Course in North America In 2023, Johnson won three times on the Advocates Professional Golf Association (APGA) Tour and is eyeing more trophies this year. “I am beyond excited to receive the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption and to play in The Genesis Invitational,” Johnson says. “Tiger has been an inspiration to me, and I look forward to putting my game to the test at Riviera and playing in honor of Mr. Sifford.” Then there’sRiviera Country Club, with its tight tree-lined fairways, drivable par-4 10th and iconic clubhouse. It’s certainly one of the most telegenic courses on tour. What else would you expect in Hollywood? The George Thomas design is a true gem from the golden age and a favorite of many PGA Tour pros. It requires both precision and creativity to score. Jordan Spieth claims it’s in the conversation for the best course in the world. We wouldn’t argue. To be sure, ‘Riv’ is both a great test of golf and a stunner for those watching the action at home. But for those chasing players in person, it’s also a great place to see golf up close. Small acreage and an intuitive layout makes getting around and following players easy.
Plus a bowl at the 18th green creates a natural stadium for spectators to gather for the finish-another brilliant element to the Thomas layout. Home to the Genesis Invitational, the stunning Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, CA, has been called one of the world’s best golf courses by PGA pros. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images A360 For anyone in the LA area, there are stilltickets available-and kids under 15 get in free. If you go, pack a sweater. The canyon is often a good deal cooler than the rest of the city. Also, skip the hot dogs and opt for a nosh with Korean flare.
After all, the title sponsor is a Korean luxury car maker and last year’s fried chicken slider was more than worth the caloric indulgence. In 2023, no one was able to claim a hole-in-one prize.
Tiger andSahith Theegala both nearly found the bottom of the cup from the tee. Had those shots dropped both would have added aGenesis electric vehicle to their garages and their caddies’ to boot. Related: Bandon Dunes Golf Resort: Complete Guide to Best Courses This year the title sponsor is handing the first player to hit a hole-in-one on each of the back nine par threes a car, plus another for the person carrying their bag every day of the tournament. How cool would it have been to see a journeyman caddy walk away with anew whip? Big cash, an impressive field, and a course that’s nearly as big a draw as Tiger himself-from tee to trophy, the Genesis Invitational is the kind of golf fans need after a long winter of dramatic discontent.
