tournament history

A STORIED PAST

The Genesis Invitational continues a longstanding tradition of professional golf in Southern California. Debuting in 1926 at Los Angeles Country Club as the Los Angeles Open, the tournament was staged at various courses throughout the Los Angeles area before permanently settling at The Riviera Country Club in 1973. Known as the site of Jack Nicklaus’ professional debut, Tiger Woods’ first PGA TOUR tournament and with 25 champions in the World Golf Hall of Fame, the tournament and Riviera have seen many major moments in golf history.

2020-present

  • 2024: Hideki Matsuyama shot a final-round 62 en route to a three-shot victory at Riviera. It marked the lowest final round at Riviera in tournament history.
  • 2021: Valencia, CA native Max Homa wins The Genesis Invitational on the second playoff hole. Homa, who grew up attending the tournament as a kid, played 24 holes on Sunday completing his third and fourth rounds prior to the playoff. Homa did not card a bogey on Sunday at Riviera.
  • 2020: Joseph Bramlett became the first person to receive the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption for a second time. Bramlett also received the exemption in 2011.
  • 2020: Adam Scott earned an official tournament victory with his two-shot win. In 2005, Scott won a rain-shortened tournament in a playoff, an unofficial PGA TOUR win.

Pictured: 2021 champion Max Homa

2010-2019

  • 2018 Cameron Champ awarded the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption. Later that year, Champ becomes the first Sifford Exemption recipient to win on the PGA TOUR.
  • 2017: Dustin Johnson’s victory following weather delays forced 36 holes to be played on Sunday. The win ascended Johnson to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
  • 2015: The tournament held the first Collegiate Showcase, providing the opportunity for a college golfer to earn an exemption into the full field tournament. Will Zalatoris of Wake Forest earned the first showcase exemption into the field.
  • 2013: John Merrick became the first champion from Los Angeles County by defeating Charlie Beljan on the second playoff hole. Merrick was born and raised in Long Beach.
  • 2012: Bill Haas made a 40-foot putt to defeat Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley on the second playoff hole.

Pictured: Inaugural Collegiate Showcase winner Will Zalatoris

2000-2009

  • 2009: Vincent Johnson was awarded the first Charlie Sifford Memorial exemption, awarded annually to a golfer of a minority background who otherwise wouldn’t be eligible to complete.
  • 2009: Phil Mickelson became the seventh player in tournament history to win back-to-back tournaments.
  • 2007: Charles Howell III defeated Phil Mickelson on the third playoff hole.
  • 2005: Adam Scott won a playoff in a rain-shortened tournament. Only 36 holes were completed.
  • 2004: Mike Weir became the sixth player in tournament history to win back-to-back tournaments.

Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption

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Pictured: Vincent Johnson in 2009

1990-1999

  • 1995: Corey Pavin became the fifth player in tournament history to win back-to-back tournaments.
  • 1993: Tom Kite won in a rain-shorted tournament. Only 54 holes were completed.
  • 1992: Tiger Woods played in his first PGA TOUR event as an amateur at the age of 16.

Pictured: Tiger Woods in his PGA TOUR debut in 1992

1980-1989

  • 1985: Lanny Wadkins won his second LA Open with a tournament-record score of 20-under, 264.
  • 1983: PGA Championship held at Riviera.
  • 1982: Tom Watson defeated Johnny Miller in one of the greatest comeback victories in tournament history. Watson made a 40-foot putt on the third playoff hole to defeat defending champion Johnny Miller. The win was Watson’s second LA Open victory in three years.

Pictured: the 1983 PGA Championship at Riviera

1970-1979

  • 1973: The LA Open returned to Riviera. The tournament remained at Riviera every year since with the exception of the 1983 and 1998 tournaments.

Pictured: Jack Nicklaus at Riviera in 1973

1960-1969

  • 1969: Charlie Sifford, the first African American member of the PGA TOUR, won the LA Open.
  • 1967: Arnold Palmer became the third player in tournament history to win back-to-back tournaments. The victory was Palmer’s third time in a five-year span, having also won in 1963 and 1966.
  • 1962: Jack Nicklaus won his first professional paycheck, earning $33.33.

Pictured: Charlie Sifford collecting the winner’s check in 1969

1950-1959

  • 1956: Lloyd Mangrum won the tournament for the fourth time, something only Macdonald Smith had previously accomplished.

Pictured: Lloyd Mangrum on the first tee in 1956

1940-1949

  • 1948: Ben Hogan became the second player in tournament history to win back-to-back tournaments. Hogan would also win the US Open at Riviera, causing many to begin calling the club Hogan’s Alley.
  • 1948: Bill Spiller and Ted Rhodes became the first African Americans to play in a non-USGA, PGA TOUR event, the 1948 Los Angeles Open. They both made the cut, Rhodes tying for 22nd and Spiller tying for 29th.
  • 1946: Babe Didrikson Zaharias made her final start in the LA Open. In her career, she would compete in seven men’s tournaments, three of which were the LA Open.
  • 1945: A birdie on the final hole gave Sam Snead a one-shot victory over Byron Nelson.
  • 1945: Babe Didrikson Zaharias made her second start in the LA Open.
  • 1943: Due to World War II, the tournament was not held.
  • 1942: Ben Hogan won his first LA Open.

Pictured: Ben Hogan on the 18th green during the 1948 US Open

1930-1939

  • 1938: Babe Didrikson Zaharias became the first woman to play in the LA Open. It would be the first of her three starts in the tournament.
  • 1934: Macdonald Smith became the first player to win the LA Open four times (1928-29, 1932, 1934).

Pictured: Babe Didrikson Zaharia preparing for a tournament 

1926-1929

  • 1929: The LA Open became the first tournament to be broadcast on radio.
  • 1929: Macdonald Smith became the first player in tournament history to win back-to-back tournaments.
  • 1926: The Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce put up a $10,000 purse for the first LA Open, the richest prize at the time in professional golf.

Pictured: The 18th green and Riviera clubhouse during the 1929 tournament

Tournament records

Recored Player
18-hole score 61 George Archer (R3/1983), Ted Tryba (R3/1999)
36-hole score 126 Joaquin Niemann (2022)
54-hole score 194 Joaquin Niemann (2022)
72-hole score 264 Lanny Wadkins (1985)
Largest margin of victory 9 Phil Rodgers (1962)
Best come-from-behind win 8 Ken Venturi (1959)
Playoffs 18 Most recent: 2021 (Max Homa def. Tony Finau)
Holes-in-one since 1983 42 Most recent: Scott Harrington (R4/2021)

host courses

times hosted Course Years
60 The Riviera Country Club 1929–30, 1941, 1945–53, 1973–82, 1984–97, 1999–2023
17 Rancho Park Golf Course 1956–67, 1969–72, 1983
5 Los Angeles Country Club 1926, 1934–36, 1940
4 Wilshire Country Club 1928, 1931, 1933, 1944
3 Griffith Park (Wilson course) 1937–39
2 Hillcrest Country Club 1932, 1942
1 Valencia Country Club 1998
1 Brookside Golf Course 1968
1 Inglewood Country Club 1955
1 Fox Hills Country Club 1954
1 El Caballero Country Club 1927

champions

YEAR WINNER SCORE
1926 Harry Cooper 279
1927 Bobby Cruickshank 282
1928 Macdonald Smith 284
1929 Macdonald Smith 285
1930 Denny Shute 296
1931 Ed Dudley 285
1932 Macdonald Smith 281
1933 Craig Wood 281
1934 Macdonald Smith 280
1935 Victor Ghezzi 285
1936 Jimmy Hines 280
1937 Harry Cooper 274
1938 Jimmy Thomson 273
1939 Jimmy Demaret 274
1940 Lawson Little 282
1941 Johnny Bulla 281
1942 Ben Hogan 282
1944 Harold McSpaden 278
1945 Sam Snead 283
1946 Byron Nelson 284
1947 Ben Hogan 280
1948 Ben Hogan 275
1949 Lloyd Mangrum 284
1950 Sam Snead 280
1951 Lloyd Mangrum 280
1952 Tommy Bolt 289
1953 Lloyd Mangrum 280
1954 Fred Wampler 281
1955 Gene Littler 276
1956 Lloyd Mangrum 272
1957 Doug Ford 280
1958 Frank Stranahan 275
1959 Ken Venturi 278
1960 Dow Finsterwald 280
1961 Bob Goalby 275
1962 Phil Rodgers 268
1963 Arnold Palmer 274
1964 Paul Harney 280
1965 Paul Harney 276
1966 Arnold Palmer 273
1967 Arnold Palmer 269
1968 Billy Casper 274
1969 Charles Sifford 276
1970 Billy Casper 276
1971 Bob Lunn 274
1972 George Archer 270
1973 Rod Funseth 276
1974 Dave Stockton 276
1975 Pat Fitzsimons 275
1976 Hale Irwin 272
1977 Tom Purtzer 273
1978 Gil Morgan 278
1979 Lanny Wadkins 276
1980 Tom Watson 276
1981 Johnny Miller 270
1982 Tom Watson 271
1983 Gil Morgan 270
1984 David Edwards 279
1985 Lanny Wadkins 264
1986 Doug Tewell 270
1987 T.C. Chen 275
1988 Chip Beck 267
1989 Mark Calcavecchia 272
1990 Fred Couples 266
1991 Ted Schulz 272
1992 Fred Couples 269
1993 Tom Kite 206
1994 Corey Pavin 271
1995 Corey Pavin 268
1996 Craig Stadler 278
1997 Nick Faldo 272
1998 Billy Mayfair 272
1999 Ernie Els 270
2000 Kirk Triplett 272
2001 Robert Allenby 276
2002 Len Mattiace 269
2003 Mike Weir 275
2004 Mike Weir 267
2005 Adam Scott 133
2006 Rory Sabbatini 271
2007 Charles Howell III 268
2008 Phil Mickelson 272
2009 Phil Mickelson 269
2010 Steve Stricker 268
2011 Aaron Baddeley 272
2012 Bill Haas 277
2013 John Merrick 273
2014 Bubba Watson 269
2015 James Hahn 278
2016 Bubba Watson 269
2017 Dustin Johnson 267
2018 Bubba Watson 272
2019 J.B. Holmes 270
2020 Adam Scott 273
2021 Max Homa 272
2022 Joaquin Niemann 265
2023 Jon Rahm 267
2024 Hideki Matsuyama 267