One of the reasons for the PGA Tour wanting to move the Genesis Invitational to the summer will be on show this week with bad weather resulting in preferred lies in operation.
The first round of the $20m Signature Event will have the lift, clean and replace of preferred lies being used due to heavy rain around the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles.
It won't be the best way to showcase the 100th edition of the event formely known as the Los Angeles Open, or the coinciding 100th anniversary of the iconic Riviera Country Club.
And it's at least part of the reason why Tiger Woods suggested that the event could move to August in the revamped PGA Tour schedule.
"Well, I think that, one, you're going to get weather not like this," Woods said ahead of the event about moving the tournament he hosts to later in the year.
"That's number one. We're going to have perfect days. It's always perfect in So Cal here in August.
"So yes, we're looking at things like that, looking to go to bigger markets later in the year for the Playoffs."
Along with having better weather for the event and having a FedEx Cup Playoffs tournament in a big market such as Los Angeles, it would also provide the PGA Tour stars with a tougher test at a faster and firmer Riviera.
Thursday weather forecast for The Genesis Invitational. Preferred lies will be in effect for the first round. pic.twitter.com/7AVUC7HF1gFebruary 19, 2026
Rory McIlroy agreed that Riviera in the summer would be a tougher test than in February.
"This week it doesn't matter if you hit it in the fairway or not. It's actually a benefit sometimes if you do hit it in the rough because the ball's not going to come spinning back on you," said McIlroy.
"If you do get it in August where the greens are firm, there's more of a consideration of strategy off the tee especially and it starts to make the guys think a little.
"But it certainly becomes a much more strategic golf course in that way."
There could be a considerable change to the West Coast events in the new PGA Tour future, with also Torrey Pines reportedly lined up for a potential Playoffs event while McIlroy also suggested they would like to move Pebble Beach to later in the summer.
That would also be a totally different test, as we've seen in the contrast in scoring between US Opens staged at Pebble Beach and AT&T Pro-Am on the PGA Tour held in February.
Genesis Invitational tournament weather forecast
The early forecast for the week did predict the heavy rain that has hit Riviera and continues to fall as the first round got under way on Thursday.
Those preferred lies will hopefully only be in place for the first round and better weather is expected from Friday onwards, but much will depend on how soft the course gets in round one.
Friday and into the weekend looks a lot better with at least the sun coming out, if not hugely warm weather being expected in the Los Angeles area.
