The devastating inferno that continues to wreak havoc throughout the Los Angeles metropolitan space has pressured the PGA Tour to make contingency plans for subsequent month’s Genesis Invitational.
In keeping with NBC Information, the Palisades Hearth has expanded its attain to nearly 20,000 acres as of Friday morning. Practically 180,000 folks have obtained evacuation orders as firefighters have contained solely six % of the blaze. 5 different wildfires within the Los Angeles space have arisen due to the sturdy Santa Anna winds and dry situations within the area. It’s a hellish panorama that has led many to match this pure catastrophe — already the most costly in Los Angeles historical past — to the apocalypse. This picture of the Los Angeles Chargers practising earlier than their NFL Wildcard matchup in opposition to the Houston Texans helps that notion.
In fact, Pacific Palisades is the house of Riviera Nation Membership, which hosts the Genesis Invitational yearly. The course is a favourite amongst gamers, followers, and broadcasters alike. This historic observe has welcomed the PGA Tour yearly since 1973, except for 1983 and 1998. It has additionally hosted the PGA Championship twice and the U.S. Open in 1948.
The hearth has not but reached the golf course and the clubhouse, though the inferno is kind of seen from the membership’s property. The preliminary blaze started solely 5 miles to the west of Riviera.
Therefore, the PGA Tour is contemplating different choices to subsequent month’s Genesis Invitational, the event slated for Feb. 13-16 that Tiger Woods now hosts.
In keeping with Golf Digest, the PGA Tour despatched a memo to its gamers on Thursday night.
The memo reads:
“The PGA Tour is monitoring the devastating fires in Los Angeles County.
“At this level, it’s untimely to debate the potential affect on the Genesis Invitational. Though the Riviera Nation Membership has not been straight affected by the fires, our fast concern is the well being and welfare of these within the affected communities, together with all our members who’ve ties to Southern California.
“We are going to hold the membership up to date because the scenario develops.”
Golf Digest additionally notes that the PGA Tour may stage the Genesis Invitational at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona. The WM Phoenix Open is the week earlier than, that means that TPC Scottsdale may host a PGA Tour occasion in back-to-back weeks.
This may not be the primary time these wildfires have affected knowledgeable sporting occasion. The NFL moved its Monday evening wildcard matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and the Minnesota Vikings from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The NBA additionally postponed Thursday’s recreation between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Charlotte Hornets.
Knowledgeable golf event requires an incredible quantity of assets and emergency personnel. Contemplating the catastrophe the Los Angeles area at the moment faces, these first responders can be diverted to assist comprise the fireplace and help those that want assist. Who is aware of the place issues will stand in just a few weeks, however proper now, the PGA Tour is getting ready for options, and rightfully so.
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Taking part in Via. Comply with him on X @jack_milko.