The PGA Tour concludes the West Coast Swing this week and as ever it ends with the Genesis Invitational at the wonderful Riviera Country Club, a really good test before the tour heads to Florida for some equally big events.
Joaquin Niemann won this tournament last year but he has since sold his soul to the golfing devil so won’t be around to defend the title. This is another of the newly acclaimed designated events so the field here is particularly strong this year.
Recent Winners
2022 – Joaquin Niemann
2021 – Max Homa
2020 – Adam Scott
2019 – JB Holmes
2018 – Bubba Watson
2017 – Dustin Johnson
2016 – Bubba Watson
2015 – James Hahn
2014 – Bubba Watson
2013 – John Merrick
The Course
Riviera Country Club is a course for the ages but it always generates a decent tournament. Don’t be swayed by the long hitters on the roll of honour because the course has been soaked in recent years due to bad weather but the one thing we shouldn’t ignore is the amount of Augusta specialists that are on there. This course plays very similar to that one with the only difference being the smaller greens on this Californian track.
The course, which will host the Olympics in three years, is a par 71 which measures 7,322 yards and is very much a second shot golf course. You need good iron play into these greens and because they are small excellent scrambling is also a necessity too. Given that there isn’t a lot of trouble off the tee the bigger hitters can let their driver go but you don’t need length over an excellent second shot and in game. Precise iron play is huge here.
The Field
This tournament usually attracts a good standard of field because of the test that the golf course provides and with the elevated stature of the tournament that is even more the case this year. Another thing to add to the profile of the field is that the host, Tiger Woods, will be teeing it up in a regular PGA Tour event for the first time in quite a while which has given the event even more of a lift and should make for a really exciting week.
Much like in Phoenix last week, the likes of Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas and the champion in the desert, Scottie Scheffler, are all in the field this week as are recent champions Max Homa and Adam Scott. There are plenty of major champions in the field too in Collin Morikawa, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Jason Day and Jordan Spieth while class acts such as Xander Schauffele, Sam Burns and Patrick Cantlay are among a stellar line up.
Market Leaders
Jon Rahm is a 15/2 favourite for the tournament this week. He has begun 2023 brilliantly with wins in Hawaii and The American Express. In six PGA Tour events this season he hasn’t been out of the top 10 and heads to Riviera off the back of a third placed finish in Phoenix last week. Rahm has a couple of top 10s here in the last four years and two creditable efforts either side of that so he is a worthy favourite, if maybe a little skinny in price.
Rory McIlroy is a 9/1 second favourite and after not really delivering much in the way of a strong performance in Phoenix last week the FedExCup champion will be looking for much more here. It should be said he was probably on the wrong side of the field last week but would still have been disappointed with the outcome. McIlroy has three top 10s in the last four years here without really strongly contending but it would be no surprise if he wins this week.
Scottie Scheffler arrives at Riviera off the back of successfully defending his Phoenix Open title last week. He cruised to victory in that event and if he hits the ball as well here as he did there then he is entitled to go very close again. Scheffler was tied for seventh here a year ago the week after winning his first PGA Tour title at Phoenix so concerns over producing after the emotions of coming out on top aren’t as big although it is still an issue. He’s a perfectly fair option at 10/1.
Justin Thomas and Tony Finau come next in the betting here. Thomas finished well in Phoenix last week to snatch a top five finish but he was never any better than that. Finau was a little quiet by his standards but he should have won around here a couple of years ago when he failed in a play-off against Homa who at one stage in extra time was stymied behind a tree. That was a second runner up finish for him here so 16/1 on him might attract some. Thomas either makes the top 10 here or misses the cut but I’m not sure he’s bang on it enough to win.
Main Bets
Whenever we get to Riviera I always like Adam Scott here. There is a correlation with form at Augusta and obviously he goes really well there too but he has won twice around here and has gone on record as saying this is his favourite course. Multiple top five finishes here is probably a good reason why and one of the reasons why he is so good here is because he is always one of the best players in the game from tee to green which is so much of the test this week. There are a few players teeing it up here who could be a little run down having played Pebble Beach and then Phoenix but Scott dodged both those events, presumably to ensure he is fresh to peak here and he is my first main bet this week.
Tyrrell Hatton is coming up to some Floridian events where he has good memories but before he gets to those he could have a big week here at Riviera. Hatton comes here off the back of a T6 finish in Phoenix last week where he ranked very highly from tee to green and we know that when the Englishman is hitting the ball well he is a danger to all because he has a good touch around the greens and is perfectly competent on them. If anything goes against him here it could be some inexperience of the golf course but I don’t think that is as much of an issue these days. I’d much rather have the form and Hatton looks in a good place. He could be a huge price here.
Outsiders
Wyndham Clark is one who is heading in the right direction form wise and as a big hitter and someone who regularly gains on the field from tee to green I wouldn’t be surprised to see a big week from him here. Clark’s last two finishes around here has seen him finish T17 and T8 and he arrives here in the top 10 in Phoenix. Clark was ranked 11 for strokes gained tee to green in Phoenix last week and that statistic jumps so many in the field here so at 75/1 I think he’s worth a chance.
At a much bigger price I’m going to have a punt on Sam Ryder to continue his decent start to the season. Ryder should have won the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines but found the likes of Jon Rahm and Max Homa too hot to handle down the stretch but to his credit after a week off to lick his wounds he came out in Phoenix and put a top 20 finish in so that fade late on in San Diego hasn’t appeared to hurt his confidence too much. Ryder was in the top 15 into the greens in Phoenix last week so any improvement off the tee should see him run well at a huge price.
Tips
Back A.Scott to win Genesis Invitational (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 51.00 with Sky Bet (1/5 1-8)
Back T.Hatton to win Genesis Invitational (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 46.00 with William Hill (1/5 1-8)
Back him here:
Back W.Clark to win Genesis Invitational (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 76.00 with Boylesports (1/5 1-8)
Back him here:
Back S.Ryder to win Genesis Invitational (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 176.00 with Betfair (1/5 1-8)
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