The 2026 Genesis Invitational began its first round on February 19 at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California, but faced a rain delay shortly after starting. The tournament features a strong field including world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, marking its return to the venue after last year's wildfires. Play resumed in the afternoon amid forecasts of continued wet conditions.
The Genesis Invitational, a PGA Tour Signature Event with a $20 million purse, returned to Riviera Country Club for its 100th playing from February 19 to 22, 2026. The par-71 course, measuring 7,383 yards, hosted the event after it was moved to Torrey Pines in 2025 due to wildfires in the Los Angeles area. This year's field includes 42 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Rankings, such as Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, and Rory McIlroy.
Round 1 tee times started at 10:15 a.m. ET on February 19, with groups including Ludvig Åberg, the 2025 winner at Torrey Pines, teeing off at 11:56 a.m. alongside J.J. Spaun and Hideki Matsuyama, the 2024 Riviera champion. Other notable pairings featured Collin Morikawa, Tommy Fleetwood, and Rory McIlroy at 12:08 p.m., and Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, and Si Woo Kim at 2:37 p.m. However, rain interrupted play around 1:15 p.m. ET, with 11 groups yet to start, including Scheffler's. The PGA Tour announced resumption at 4 p.m. ET, as AccuWeather predicted a high of 58 degrees Fahrenheit, southwest winds of 10-15 mph with gusts to 30 mph, and a 99% chance of rain lasting about eight hours.
Television coverage for Rounds 1 and 2 airs on Golf Channel from 4-8 p.m. ET, with streaming available on the ESPN app starting earlier. Round 2 tee times on February 20 begin at 10:15 a.m. ET, following a similar schedule. Tiger Woods, the tournament host, is not competing but has not ruled out a return at the Masters in April. Past Riviera winners in the field include Max Homa and Adam Scott. Florida Times-Union's Garry Smits noted of Scheffler: "The world's No. 1-ranked player has yet to win a spring PGA Tour event in California and he's due."
The event caps the California Swing before the Florida Swing leading to The Players Championship.
