PGA Tour said to have moved The Genesis Invitational to the wrong course as better option suggested

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After some speculation, it was confirmed this week that The Genesis Invitational will be held at Torrey Pines rather than Riviera next month.

There was real doubt over The Genesis Invitational for some time following the devastating wildfires around Los Angeles in recent weeks.

Riviera has hosted the event on 60 occasions in the past, including every year since 1999. However, while Riviera itself was largely unscathed following the wildfires, it quickly became apparent that there was absolutely no way that the course could hold this year’s tournament, which is hosted by Tiger Woods.

The decision has now been taken to hold the event at Torrey Pines, which has just hosted the Farmers Insurance Open this week. Harris English won the tournament – which includes one round on the North Course – on eight under par.

PGA Tour may have made an error with The Genesis Invitational set to be played at Torrey Pines

The Farmers Insurance saw a raft of names withdraw for various reasons, with one seemingly being the fact that they would be back at the same course in a few weeks time. But perhaps the PGA Tour have made an error.

Speaking on the Golf Channel Podcast this week, Ryan Lavner admitted feeling that they had missed a trick awarding The Genesis to Torrey Pines given how underwhelming the field was at The American Express recently.

“I think I would have preferred to see it go elsewhere. This is nothing on Torrey Pines. Torrey Pines is a little bit of a polarising course. Golf architecture nerds absolutely hate the golf course. I think when you look at the history of the leaderboards it has produced, I think its track record speaks for itself. My main gripe would be that signature events are supposed to be the best fields, the toughest courses, the most extreme set ups. You are really trying to identify a great winner. There is not much that is going to be different from what you would see at The Genesis Invitational from what you would see at the Farmers Insurance Open,” he said.

“I actually think PGA West would have been a better option. I love the changes that they have made to that golf course.”

And speaking on the latest episode following English’s win, Lavner reiterated his view that PGA West would have been the better option.

“I would’ve voted to have this at PGA West. That was a golf tournament, The American Express, that no-one really watched. You can make the golf course so much harder. Without the Pro-Am component, you have just 80 of the best players on the PGA Tour. You still have the infrastructure in place from having the tournament just a couple of weeks earlier,” he said.

“The main issue I have with Torrey Pines is what’s going to be different this time around? It’s still going to be really hard. Eight under won this golf tournament. There were 24 players who finished in red figures for the 72-hole event. There’s only so much more you can do to Torrey Pines to make it even more of a championship test. It could feel, I worry, a little bit redundant.”

Tiger Woods’ remarkable record at Torrey Pines

Of course, it is not hard to see why the prospect of the event being played at Torrey Pines appealed to Tiger Woods – who may perhaps be looking to tee it up this year.

Woods has an unbelievable record at Torrey Pines. He won what is now the Farmers Insurance Open on seven occasions, while he also won the 2008 US Open at the same course – following that incredible play-off with Rocco Mediate.

Woods would tie the record for the lowest score to par in a tournament at Torrey Pines in 1999 when he finished on 22 under par, while he also won four times in a row between 2005 and 2008.

It would be a monumental task for Woods to get win number nine on the course next month. But if he is in the field, then perhaps there is no track more likely to set him up for being in contention.