The Genesis Invitational has been played in various guises since 1926. The tournament was originally called the Los Angeles Open. The host course has been Riviera Country Club since 1999 and 58 times in total in the history of the tournament. It is a course 7,322 yards in length and a par 71.
There is a limited field of 120 players for this famous tournament. That includes the top 11 players in the world rankings. The quality of the field is probably due to the fact that the Tiger Woods Foundation are the organizers and hosts.
The average winning score over the last five years is 13 under. It is important to find the fairways and greens in the correct number of shots. The greens are above average in size but missing them can be costly due to the difficulty in scrambling from just off the putting surfaces.
So, here are the key skills for Riviera:
Driving accuracy
Green s in Regulation (GIR)
Putts per GIR
2022 Genesis Invitational Picks
Outright Winner
Patrick Cantlay (+1100)
Cantlay is now at number three in the world rankings and is destined to reach the top of the standings at some stage of his career. He is a major champion in waiting because he has an excellent all-round game with few flaws. Cantlay has been a regular contender this season without winning.
However, the course is the perfect venue to get his name on the list of winners for 2022. He has home field advantage because he was born in California. Cantlay also has a game suited to the venue where he has an exceptional record but just requires a win which can happen this week.
Best Value Top 10 Pick
Rory Mcllroy (+2000)
When Rory McIlroy won the USPGA Championship in 2014, he was expected to be a regular winner of major championships. However, he has not added to his tally of four of events that matter most. McIlroy has wasted some winning opportunities on the European Tour but won his last PGA event.
The former world number has finished in the top five at Riviera twice since 2019. McIlroy is still one of the best drivers in the game. That attribute takes some of the pressure from his approach play so we expect good GIR stats this week when he can become the first winner from Europe since 1997.
Potential Sleeper Pick
Matt Fitzpatrick (+3300)
Matt Fitzpatrick is possibly the best player in the world who has won on the PGA Tour. However, he has been knocking on the door and should soon win in the States to complement his seven wins in Europe. Fitzpatrick has made the top 10 in his first two outings of the season. He was also tied fifth in the event in 2021 so combines course and current form and his game is suited to the track.
For the full list of odds for the outright winner of the Genesis Invitational, you should visit https://nj.pointsbet.com/sports/golf
