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Tiger Woods will play the Genesis Invitational in 2020 -- the first event he has announced as part of his 2020 schedule. The commitment is not a surprise. Woods is the tournament host; the event is played at Riviera Country Club near Los Angeles. The tournament dates are Feb. 13-16 and now has a designation as an invitational, meaning the field has been reduced to 120 players, will see an increase in prize money from $7.4 million to $9.3 million, and the winner will get a three-year PGA Tour exemption instead of the standard two. The enhanced status for the event, which was announced earlier this year, brings it in line with two other tournaments tied to golf icons -- the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Memorial Tournament, which is hosted by Jack Nicklaus. "It's an honor for us to be in the same category as Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer,'' Woods said in a statement. "Those are two legends of the game. For us to have that type of elevation, all the things we want to have happen for the tournament are going to happen.'' Woods tied for 15th at the Genesis tournament earlier this year, but Riviera has mostly caused him fits during his career. It is where he made his professional tournament debut as an amateur at age 16 in 1992, but also a place where he has never won in 12 tries. That's the most of any venue he has not won at in at least five appearances. After winning the Zozo Championship in Japan last month for his 82nd PGA Tour victory, Woods is now preparing for another tournament that his foundation hosts -- the Hero World Challenge, which begins Dec. 4. The following week, he will captain the U.S. Presidents Cup team in Australia, where he is also a member of the 12-man team.
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