The 2025 Genesis Invitational likely headed to Torrey Pines due to Los Angeles fires

A frontrunner has emerged to host the PGA Tour’s Genesis Invitational next month and fans won't have to drive too far to get there — though good luck with the traffic.

Golfweek has learned that the Tour is in the final stages of negotiations to move the 2025 Genesis Invitational to Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, near San Diego, a "short" drive on Interstate 5 (better known simply as "the 5") from its usual home at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades.

The signature event is scheduled to begin on February 13. Woods has a tremendous track record at Torrey Pines, winning eight times – seven of them at the Farmers Insurance Open and the 2008 U.S. Open. (He missed the 2021 U.S. Open there after being in a car crash earlier that year, and hasn’t played in the Farmers Insurance Open since 2020.)

The Tour announced on Thursday that the Genesis Invitational would be moved to a different venue due to the wildfires that raged in the greater Los Angeles area, including near Riviera, which avoided damage. But the Tour had no other choice but to move the event to an alternate location.

"The PGA Tour’s focus continues to be on the safety and well-being of those affected by the unprecedented natural disaster in Greater Los Angeles," the Tour said in a release. "We are grateful for the life-saving efforts of first responders and the tireless work being done to put an end to the tragic wildfires.”

The Tour is making its annual stop at Torrey Pines this week for the Farmers Insurance Open. Having the Tour return there following the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and WM Phoenix Open should allow the Tour to take advantage of having a course already set up with the necessary infrastructure — everything from grandstands and corporate hospitality chalets to concessions and the gallery ropes and allow enough time to change out the branding from Farmers to Genesis. The South Course at Torrey Pines ranks as the fourth best public course in California that you can play, according to Golfweek raters.

While social media already is calling it a done deal, sources tell Golfweek that it is premature and the Tour hasn't crossed the T's or dotted the I's just yet. The Pete Dye Stadium Course at PGA West in Palm Springs, California, which was one of the host courses of The American Express last week, and TPC Scottsdale, which will host the WM Phoenix Open, also have been bandied about as replacement venues. But it looks like Torrey Pines, one of Tiger's top hunting grounds, has emerged as the favorite to do double duty this year.

Efforts to reach the Tour and tournament officials for comment were not answered before this story went to publication. An announcement should be forthcoming.

More: How much is it to play golf at Torrey Pines, home of the Farmers Insurance Open?

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Genesis Invitational likely to be played at Torrey Pines in 2025