The reports are in, and the situation at Riviera Golf Club is looking quite sticky! The second Signature event of the season has teed off already. But fans might not get to see the entire round being played today. That’s because the PGA Tour Communications has already revealed poor weather conditions.

In their latest tweet, they mentioned, “Thursday weather forecast for The Genesis Invitational. Preferred lies will be in effect for the first round.”

As reflected in the graphic they have attached, the entire first round of the Genesis Invitational on Thursday, January 19, 2026, might be packed with rain. Right from 7 A.M. local time, there is a 70% probability of precipitation. The percentage only grows to 100% between 9 A.M. and 11 A.M. The chances of rainfall drop to 30% by 1 P.M., and there might not be any more precipitation by noon.

However, chances are that the course might be too wet by then. Moreover, the weather report shows that it will also be windier by the afternoon. So it’s not like things will get easier for the pros. Considering the moist conditions and other factors, the PGA Tour might also allow the Preferred Lies rule to be used.

This has caused a major stir in the golf community. Let’s see what the fans had to say as they are riled up over the situation.

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

Netizens criticize the PGA Tour over poor planning for the Genesis Invitational

The fans are really concerned about the issues the Genesis Invitational might face looking at the weather report. And they didn’t shy away from expressing themselves in the comments.

One of them said, “Remember this forecast, the Monday finishes at Pebble, the 54 hole champions over the years, etc.. when some react negatively to West Coast Swing Playoff Events in August. Can’t wait for the new schedule.”

The Genesis Invitational had been shortened to a 54-hole contest once in 1993 due to rainfall. However, other West Coast events, like the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, have been cancelled after 54 holes due to poor weather more often. Wyndham Clark claimed the 2024 edition of the Pebble Beach event by 1 stroke after precipitation disrupted the last round’s play.

Considering the rainfall and windy conditions, one fan set their expectations straight: “Funny enough with the weather conditions today I wouldn’t even mind a E-par round from Scottie on a Thursday.”

It’s not that Scottie Scheffler is incapable of playing under difficult conditions. However, fans saw him struggle during the last three rounds at East Lake in the 2025 TOUR Championship. That cost him a second consecutive FedEx Cup trophy. If the same conditions resurface at Riviera, then the world #1 might face some difficulties.

Speaking of the weather, someone expressed their astonishment with the PGA Tour schedule: “It’s always amazed me why they would do the west coast golf swing in rainy season, never made sense.”

The West Coast swing of the PGA Tour specifically occurs during January and February. These are the only two months in the year when this region of the country experiences heavy rainfall. Fortunately, Brian Rolapp is already planning to push back the beginning of the season to after the Super Bowl from 2027 onwards. That might benefit the pros and the events.

Lastly, a couple of comments read, “Ban preferred lies,” and “Enough with preferred lies. They can play it down.”

Coming back to the 2025 TOUR Championship, poor weather caused a lot of stir in the community back then. And the PGA Tour allowed the players to use the Preferred Lies rule to accomodate for it for three straight rounds. However, that wasn’t well received by the fans as they felt it was unfair to other pros.