Genesis Invitational Golf Tournament on the PGA Tour

Tourney info including past champions and historical trivia

Keegan Bradley on the 18th Hole during the fourth day of the Northern Trust Open held at Riviera Country Club
Crowds of fans watch golfers play into the 18th hole during the Northern Trust Open. Paul Mounce/Corbis via Getty Images

This tournament has gone through many names over the years - most recently, it was the Northern Trust Open - but beginning in 2017 it became the Genesis Open, later switching to Genesis Invitational. Genesis Motors is the luxury car division of Hyundai. Along with a new title sponsor in 2017, the tournament got a new beneficiary: the college access programs of the Tiger Woods Foundation.

This event was long known as the Los Angeles Open, then hosted for a time by singer Glen Campbell, then called the Nissan Open and the Northern Trust Open. Regardless of the name, the golf tournament - first played in 1926 - has for decades taken place at historic and venerated Riviera Country Club.

2020 Tournament

  • When: Feb. 13-16, 2020
  • Where: Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif.

2019 Genesis Open

In the final round, J.B. Holmes made up five strokes on third-round leader Justin Thomas to claim the victory. Holmes shot 70 to Thomas' 75 to finish one stroke ahead of Thomas. Holmes' total of 270 was 14-under par. It was Holmes' fifth career PGA Tour victory.

2018 Tournament
Bubba Watson's 2-stroke victory put him in exclusive company, joining Ben Hogan and Arnold Palmer as three-time winners of the event. Watson finished at 12-under 272, two ahead of runners-up Kevin Na and Tony Finau. It was Watson's 10th career PGA Tour win.

Official Web site

PGA Tour tournament site

Scoring Records at the Genesis Open

  • 72 holes: 264 - Lanny Wadkins, 1985
  • Tournament Course Record: 61 - Ted Tryba, 1991 (also by George Archer, 1983, at Rancho Municipal Golf Course)

Genesis Open Golf Courses

The PGA Tour Genesis Open is played at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif., a Los Angeles suburb. Riviera is one of the true classic courses of the PGA Tour. It first hosted this tournament in 1929, and has hosted this event every year but one since 1973.

Other Courses to Host the Northern Trust Open
(Courses in Los Angeles unless noted)

  • Los Angeles Country Club (North Course)
  • El Caballero Country Club, Tarzana, Calif.
  • Wilshire Country Club
  • Hillcrest Country Club
  • Griffith Park - Wilson Course
  • Griffith Park - Harding Course
  • Inglewood Country Club, Inglewood, Calif.
  • Rancho Municipal Golf Course

Genesis Open Trivia and Notes

  • The Genesis Open is the fourth-oldest tournament on the PGA Tour.
  • Singer Glen Campbell was associated with the tournament for many years. It was called the Glen Campbell Los Angeles Open from 1971 through 1983.
  • The tournament has been played since 1926, but it took until 2003 before the tournament had its first lefthanded champion (Mike Weir).
  • "Lighthorse" Harry Cooper (1926, 1937) and Macdonald Smith (1928-29, 1932, 1934) won a lot in the tournament's first decade of existance. Cooper and Smith are the golfers with the most career wins on the PGA Tour without having won a major championship.
  • Macdonald Smith and Lloyd Mangrum (1949, 1951, 1953, 1956) hold the record with four wins each in the tournament. Three-time winners are Ben Hogan (1942, 1947-48), Arnold Palmer (1963, 1966-67) and Bubba Watson (2014, 2016, 2018).
  • Players to win the Northern Trust Open in back-to-back years are Macdonald Smith (1928-29), Ben Hogan (1947-48), Paul Harney (1964-65), Arnold Palmer (1966-67), Corey Pavin (1994-95), Mike Weir (2003-04) and Phil Mickelson (2008-09).
  • Tiger Woods has played this event 11 times without winning. That's the most times he's played any event without winning it.
  • Jack Nicklaus never won the Nissan Open. His best finish was second place in 1978.
  • Jack Nicklaus' professional debut came in the 1962 Los Angeles Open. He finished 50th and earned $33.33.
  • Tiger Woods' first PGA Tour appearance was in the 1992 Nissan Open, when the 16-year-old Woods received a sponsor exemption.
  • Bade Didrikson Zaharias made the two-day cut at the 1945 Los Angeles Open, but missed the a second cut that took place following the third round.

Winners of the PGA Tour Genesis Open

(Changes in the tournament's name are noted; p-playoff; w-weather shortened; u-unofficial event)
Genesis Open

2019 - J.B. Holmes, 270
2018 - Bubba Watson, 272
2017 - Dustin Johnson, 267

Northern Trust Open
2016 - Bubba Watson, 269
2015 - James Hahn-p, 278
2014 - Bubba Watson, 269
2013 - John Merrick-p, 273
2012 - Bill Haas-p, 277
2011 - Aaron Baddeley, 272
2010 - Steve Stricker, 268
2009 - Phil Mickelson, 269
2008 - Phil Mickelson, 272

Nissan Open
2007 - Charles Howell III-p, 268
2006 - Rory Sabbatini, 271
2005 - Adam Scott-p-w-u, 133
2004 - Mike Weir, 267
2003 - Mike Weir-p, 275
2002 - Len Mattiace, 269
2001 - Robert Allenby-p, 276
2000 - Kirk Triplett, 272
1999 - Ernie Els, 270
1998 - Billy Mayfair-p, 272
1997 - Nick Faldo, 272
1996 - Craig Stadler, 278
1995 - Corey Pavin, 268

Nissan Los Angeles Open
1994 - Corey Pavin, 271
1993 - Tom Kite-w, 206
1992 - Fred Couples-p, 269
1991 - Ted Schulz, 272
1990 - Fred Couples, 266
1989 - Mark Calcavecchia, 272

Los Angeles Open Presented by Nissan
1988 - Chip Beck, 267
1987 - Tze-Chung Chen-p, 275

Los Angeles Open
1986 - Doug Tewell, 270
1985 - Lanny Wadkins, 264
1984 - David Edwards, 279

Glen Campbell Los Angeles Open
1983 - Gil Morgan, 270
1982 - Tom Watson-p, 271
1981 - Johnny Miller, 270
1980 - Tom Watson, 276
1979 - Lanny Wadkins, 276
1978 - Gil Morgan, 278
1977 - Tom Purtzer, 273
1976 - Hale Irwin, 272
1975 - Pat Fitzsimons, 275
1974 - Dave Stockton, 276
1973 - Rod Funseth, 276
1972 - George Archer-p, 270
1971 - Bob Lunn-p, 274

Los Angeles Open
1970 - Billy Casper-p, 276
1969 - Charles Sifford-p, 276
1968 - Billy Casper, 274
1967 - Arnold Palmer, 269
1966 - Arnold Palmer, 273
1965 - Paul Harney, 276
1964 - Paul Harney, 280
1963 - Arnold Palmer, 274
1962 - Phil Rodgers, 268
1961 - Bob Goalby, 275
1960 - Dow Finsterwald, 280
1959 - Ken Venturi, 278
1958 - Frank Stranahan, 275
1957 - Doug Ford, 280
1956 - Lloyd Mangrum, 272
1955 - Gene Littler, 276
1954 - Fred Wampler, 281
1953 - Lloyd Mangrum, 280
1952 - Tommy Bolt-p, 289
1951 - Lloyd Mangrum, 280
1950 - Sam Snead-p, 280
1949 - Lloyd Mangrum, 284
1948 - Ben Hogan, 275
1947 - Ben Hogan, 280
1946 - Byron Nelson, 284
1945 - Sam Snead, 283
1944 - Harold McSpaden, 278
1943 - No Tournament
1942 - Ben Hogan-p, 282
1941 - Johnny Bulla, 281
1940 - Lawson Little, 282
1939 - Jimmy Demaret, 274
1938 - Jimmy Thomson, 273
1937 - Harry Cooper, 274
1936 - Jimmy Hines, 280
1935 - Vic Ghezzi-p, 285
1934 - Macdonald Smith, 280
1933 - Craig Wood, 281
1932 - Macdonald Smith, 281
1931 - Ed Dudley, 285
1930 - Denny Shute, 296
1929 - Macdonald Smith, 285
1928 - Macdonald Smith, 284
1927 - Bobby Cruickshank, 282
1926 - Harry Cooper, 279