By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor
In the aftermath of the Palisades fire, The Riviera Country Club’s ownership and golfer Tiger Woods have stepped up in a show of support to aid in recovery efforts.
Riviera CEO Megan Watanabe announced in February that the club will donate $1 million to local rebuilding initiatives, partnering with California Community Foundation to benefit Pacific Palisades Community Council as well as the CD11 Foundation to restore public spaces and help the community heal.
“The Pacific Palisades neighborhood and District 11 is very important to our club and our membership,” Watanabe said. “Our focus now is to support rebuilding the Palisades and help Councilwoman Traci Park in this time of need. Our members and our partners have reached out to us asking how they can help in the recovery, and we’ve informed them of our donation efforts (Riviera Community Donation) and welcomed them to support these two foundations by contributing to the fund we’ve set up with the California Community Foundation.”
The Genesis Invitational, hosted by 15-time major champion Woods, further bolstered the recovery efforts through several tournament initiatives to benefit wildfire relief.
Riviera has been a cornerstone of Southern California’s sports history since 1926 and has served as the venue for the PGA Tour’s annual Los Angeles stop 60 times since 1929. Due to the impact of the fires, this year’s Genesis had to be relocated to Torrey Pines but the spirit of the Palisades remained at the heart of the event.
“We’re looking forward to the Genesis Invitational returning to Riviera in 2026—our 100th anniversary of the club,” Watanabe added. “We’ll also be hosting the U.S. Women’s Open later that year, and the future will find Riviera as the home to the Summer Olympics men’s and women’s competition in 2028 as well as the U.S. Open in 2031.”
To contribute to the fund to aid Pacific Palisades relief efforts, visit calfund.org/funds/riviera-community-donation.
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