LOS ANGELES – Professional golfers rarely reach consensus, but if anything could do the trick, it was a bone-chilling few days at a rain-soaked Riviera Country Club.
The Genesis Invitational moving to a later, warmer date on the calendar? Jordan Spieth summed up the thoughts of many: “Absolutely.”
As the PGA Tour’s decision-makers continue to brainstorm ways to improve the product, it’s clear that a schedule overhaul is of high priority. Sources say the process, even for 2027, is still ongoing, and players gleaned as much from leadership in a meeting Tuesday night inside Riviera’s player-dining area.
But Tiger Woods, Genesis’ host and a player director on the Tour’s policy board, did confirm that moving his event to the end of the season, perhaps into the playoff rotation alongside potentially new venues, was among ideas still “on the table.”
“You’re going to get weather not like this; that’s No. 1,” Woods said. “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.”
In Riviera’s case, its traditional spot on the schedule has often produced rain delays and soft conditions, neither of which are conducive to exciting, elite golf.
“I think you’re looking at the condition of the course … this week it doesn’t matter if you hit it in the fairway or not; it’s actually a benefit sometimes if you do hit it in the rough because the ball’s not going to come spinning back on you,” explained Rory McIlroy. “So, if you do get it in August where the greens are firm, there’s more of a consideration of strategy off the tee especially, and it starts to make the guys think a little bit. It certainly becomes a much more strategic golf course in that way.”
Added Viktor Hovland: “The few times I’ve been here when it’s firm and fast, I think it’s just such a great test.”
While some players, such as two-time tournament champion Adam Scott, believe Riviera “can be whatever it needs to be,” playoff or not, February or August, it’s clear there are few cons, if any. Even Genesis, which extended its title sponsorship through 2030, seems flexible.
“I think this is a possibility,” Jose Munoz, Genesis president and CEO, said of the potential date change. “We’re very open minded and willing to make things better.”
It’s safe to assume that if Woods endorses the move, it will probably happen.
Most else seems more complicated, as the Tour looks to formulate a model that serves not only its members but fans, sponsors and partners. As a result, Woods said the reimagined schedule would likely be rolled out over a “couple-year period.”
“We may not be able to implement all of it in 2027,” Woods added, “but there will definitely be parts of it integrated or changed than from what it is now.”
So, let’s focus on 2027. Stand on a Tour driving range for a few hours, and you’ll hear all sorts of rumors and recommendations regarding next year’s schedule. Already reported, in some fashion, is the likelihood of the Tour leaving Hawaii and starting the season stateside, either the week of the Super Bowl or the week before. The WM Phoenix Open seems to be the ideal launching point and loves its overlap with football, though with the Big Game being played on Valentine’s Day next year, that leaves one fewer week in ’27 between WMPO and the Masters.
Does WMPO shift sooner, or does an event get rescheduled or nixed? Moving the Genesis to the summer would easily solve that.
And if the WM Phoenix Open does stay Super Bowl week and the Tour wants to start the week before, it would make most sense to keep Torrey Pines on the schedule and kick off the season there. Sentry, signed on through 2035, needs a home, and Farmers’ deal ended this year. And what about The American Express, which has produced strong fields, compelling drama and great winners in recent years? Is there still room for that; AmEx is signed through 2028.
If Riviera would be better served in August, so, too, would Pebble Beach, though the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am has one big issue: Pebble’s annual car show, the Concours d’Elegance, which the resort runs, is scheduled for mid-August next year, the same week where the first playoff event would typically go. Regarding the West Coast swing, it seems grouping events as such, especially if there are fewer of them, is no longer of concern.
And as for those big playoff markets Woods speaks of, both FedEx and BMW are signed on as title sponsors through 2027. But in 2028? The Tour would have the freedom to completely reimagine how it concludes its season – and, as we’ve learned this week, there would be few complaints if Riviera was part of that equation.
If this is all still up in the air, we should get some form of clarity during CEO Brian Rolapp’s press conference in three weeks at The Players. There is a Players Advisory Council meeting during next week’s Cognizant Classic. Surely, the schedule will materialize enough over the next few weeks to give Rolapp some exciting news to share.
The Tour has also been pushing the message of “owning the summer,” as Players Championship executive director Lee Smith told Front Office Sports recently.
Starting the playoffs at Riv wouldn’t hurt that objective.