Tournament host Tiger Woods has selected Sahith Theegala as the recipient of the 2026 Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption for The Genesis Invitational. The event, set for February 19-22 at The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California, marks Theegala's sixth appearance. Woods praised Theegala's perseverance, drawing parallels to Charlie Sifford's legacy.
The Genesis Invitational, the second Signature Event of the 2026 PGA Tour season, returns to The Riviera Country Club after being held at Torrey Pines in 2025 due to wildfires near Los Angeles. The field includes 72 players, featuring 18 of the top 20 in the Official World Golf Ranking, such as world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy. Defending champion Ludvig Åberg will seek to repeat his 2025 victory, where he edged Maverick McNealy by one stroke.
Tiger Woods, the tournament host for the seventh straight year, announced Sahith Theegala as the recipient of the annual Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption. Established in 2009, the exemption honors minority golfers whose careers embody opportunity, perseverance, and progress, continuing the legacy of Charlie Sifford, the first African American to win on the PGA Tour. Woods, who is recovering from lumbar disc replacement surgery in October 2025 and will not compete, stated, "During Charlie’s playing days, all he wanted was an opportunity to compete with the best players in the world so he could showcase his game, and Sahith shares those same characteristics. I am proud to welcome Sahith to the field for The Genesis Invitational, a tournament that shares a lot of meaning for us both."
Theegala, a 28-year-old born in Fullerton, California, to Indian immigrant parents and raised in Chino Hills, learned golf on public courses. He debuted at The Genesis Invitational in 2017 as a Pepperdine sophomore, finishing T49 as an amateur. Now in his sixth start at Riviera, he has made all five prior cuts with three top-15 finishes, including a T6 in 2023. Since earning his PGA Tour card in 2020, Theegala has one victory, 24 top-10 finishes, and 100 cuts made. After injuries limited him in 2025, he has rebounded in 2026, making cuts in all four starts with two top-10s.
Theegala responded, "Receiving this special invitation from Tiger is an honor. The Genesis Invitational has played an important role in my journey to the PGA Tour, and I truly appreciate the opportunity to compete in Charlie’s memory." Other sponsor exemptions include Max Homa, Tom Kim, and Adam Scott. The tournament features a $20 million purse and a 36-hole cut to the top 50 and ties, or within 10 shots of the lead.
