Tiger Woods’ hosted Genesis Invitational is known for pristine fairways and championship drama. However, it was the pin flags that stole the spotlight even before the 2026 edition officially began. It was a quiet but powerful change on the course that signaled that this event carried a deeper meaning.

“This is awesome ❤️. Wednesday’s practice round flags at the Genesis Invitational were created by kids from a nearby school impacted by fires,” Golf.com wrote in an X post and shared it on Instagram.

It is a carousel post captioned, “Hey @thegenesisinv, let’s keep these flags for the entire tournament. Who says no?” The post features four slides. The first one is a collage of a couple of hand-drawn pin flags along with the X post. The other feature individual flags drawn by the kids from a nearby school.

The 2026 Genesis Invitational, which unfolds from February 19 to February 22, 2026, marks the tournament’s return to its traditional home, the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades. Last year, the event was relocated to Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego out of respect for wildfire victims. The Palisades fire was just within a few thousand feet of Riviera.

The devastating Los Angeles wildfires from last year burned over 57,000 acres. They destroyed more than 18,000 homes and structures, and killed at least 31 people.

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Since Tiger Woods is from California and hosts the Genesis Invitational, he expressed his concerns and support when the fires struck.

“The devastation that is ongoing with the LA fires is such a tragedy and being from California, it hits home. My heart is with those who have suffered unimaginable loss,” the 15x major champion said.

The tournament even has a charitable arm, California Rises, which continues to raise funds for last year’s fires. The initiative currently focuses on three pillars – fire prevention, rebuilding communities, and inspiration. It is working with the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles, and Genesis Inspiration Foundation to use the funds raised.

Pin flags at practice rounds align directly with the Genesis Inspiration Foundation’s mission. It is to connect youth to the transformative power of the arts. The foundation continues to specifically target arts education programs at schools impacted by the fires. This sweet gesture turned the kids’ artwork into a symbol of resilience and hope.

To offer more support, the foundation has also boosted its Birdies for Good initiative.

Birdies for Good 2026

Birdies for Good is a charitable initiative tied to the Genesis Invitational’s California Rises program. It aims at raising funds to donate to wildfire relief. The initiative started in 2025 at Torrey Pines. The idea is to donate some amount for every birdie and hole-in-one during the course of the event.

In 2025, the foundation contributed $300 per birdie or eagle and $10,000 for every hole-in-one. The program raised $279,800. The biggest contributors were Ludvig Åberg and Keegan Bradley. They both hit an ace and contributed $10,000 each through a single shot. The remaining amount came from 868 birdies or eagles.

This year, though, the foundation has raised the amount significantly. In 2026, every birdie or eagle gets $1,000, while an ace gets $25,000. However, only holes 10, 14, 16, 17, and 18 will contribute to the initiative.

Genesis has already committed $1 million upfront for the next phase of California Rises. Fans can also tally the total by watching live TV broadcasts and following the PGA Tour app.

Larger rewards for good payouts and a $1 million commitment are already in place. This reflects that the Genesis Invitational continues to turn competition into meaningful support for wildfire recovery. That same spirit was visible before the first tee shot, as children’s hand-drawn flags fluttered over Riviera’s greens.