Tiger unsure about status of Riviera event amid LA fires

Tiger Woods believes it was too soon to determine what impact, if any, the massive wildfires that have ravaged parts of Los Angeles for the past week could have on the PGA Tour event he is scheduled to host next month in Southern California.

Pacific Palisades is the home of The Genesis Invitational, a Signature Event that has a $20 million purse and is scheduled to take place Feb. 13-16 at Riviera Country Club.

Woods, speaking after making his TGL debut, said no decision has been made on whether to shift either the date of the tournament or its location from the Los Angeles area.

"There's so many other things that are bigger than that. We have subsequent meetings to try and figure all that out," Woods told reporters.

The 49-year-old Woods, who grew up in Cypress, California, said he knows some people who have "lost everything" in the fires and that the news has been hard to take.

"We're trying to just figure everything out and make sure that everyone is safe and we have meetings scheduled going forward," said Woods.

"But as of right now, we're not really focused on the tournament. It's more about what we can do to help everyone who's struggling, who's lost homes and had their lives changed."

Firefighters watch as the Palisades Fire, one of simultaneous blazes that have ripped across Los Angeles County, burns at the Mandeville Canyon, a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, U.S. Reuters

Max Homa, who played alongside Woods in the TGL match on Tuesday, felt the status of the Riviera event should not be the focus right now.

"No offense to Tiger and TGL and Genesis, but it seems silly at the moment to be overly focused on a golf tournament when people are still continuing to have this go on and living in a bit of fear in So Cal," said Homa.

"It's been really tough, but again, I'm just very happy that a lot of people have gotten out, been safe."

Woods on wrong side of lopsided defeat

Meanwhile, Woods, whose talent and charisma elevated golf to new heights during his prime, embarked on a new challenge on Tuesday when he made his debut in the tech-infused indoor team golf league he co-founded with Rory McIlroy.

Woods, 49, was not at his best on a night when his Jupiter Links Golf Club were thrashed 12-1 by Los Angeles Golf Club but the greatest player of his generation still enjoyed the fast-paced twist to the age-old game.

"We were entertaining. We hit a lot of shots. I think the people here, they got to see how bad pros can be," a smiling Woods told reporters. "It was just a boat race. Oh, my goodness. But we had a great time."

One week after its launch, TGL rolled out the biggest name on its roster with hopes that Woods can help the sport cultivate a newer and younger audience.

Woods, with his mother and son Charlie among the capacity crowd of 1,500, arrived on the field of play sporting a red shirt and white pants and without any introduction but simply "Eye of the Tiger" blaring through the speakers.

And while a vastly different environment than pristine Augusta National, where Woods has won five Masters titles, the 15-time major winner still commanded the attention of the arena throughout the two-hour match even if he was far from his best.

"It's really neat, and it was intimate. I think that's one of the cool things about it," said Woods. "It's about entertaining. We had a laugh."

After missing the cut at the 2024 British Open, Woods had back surgery in September and did not compete again until playing alongside his son during a 36-hole event in December.

Prior to hitting the night's opening shot at a five-storey simulator screen Woods did his part to pump up the crowd as he utilized "The Hammer", doubling the value of the par-four first hole to two points.

Woods, playing alternate shot with teammates Kevin Kisner and Max Homa, then found the fairway with a 270-yard shot before splitting the hole with the Los Angeles trio of Justin Rose, Collin Morikawa and Sahith Theegala.

Despite being on the wrong end of a rout, Jupiter Links were able to have some fun at their own expense with Kisner jokingly asking Woods's son if he wanted to play.

Woods tied Rose on the opening hole of their two-hole, head-to-head "singles" clash but dropped the second where he found water off the tee and then hit a bunker shot into the same hazard.

"This is unique. This is something that golf has never seen before," said Woods. "To have an arena like this and to be able to go out there with great guys, entertain everyone, just have fun.

"The new tech with -- I know my family were blown away of the enormity of the space, and then on top of that, the rotating green. It's really neat, and it was intimate."