PGA Tour Genesis Invitational: Power ranking the top 10 at Riviera

There are several Californians in my top 10 this week. Patrick Cantlay is one of them. The UCLA alum and Long Beach native should have plenty of fan support this week playing just outside of LA.

The galleries didn’t have much to cheer for with missed cuts in his first two Genesis Invitational starts in 2012 and 2013. He seems to have gotten the hang of Riviera in his last two visits.

Cantlay posted T-4 in 2018 (66-69-69-71) where he was the 36-hole leader and finished just three shots back at the tournament’s end.

Cantlay told Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard in 2018 that he estimated playing Riviera about once a month in his youth. The putter let him down on Sunday, but he still gained nearly a stroke per round on the greens.

"“Definitely knowing where the ball feeds on some of these hole locations is important, and where to err,” Cantlay said, as transcribed by Tee Scripts. “This golf course has a lot of intricate architecture, especially on the greens and particular hole locations where the ball will feed from certain spots, and knowing that’s huge.”"

He posted 68-71-70-69 to finish T-15 last year.

Cantlay’s made five starts in the 2019-2020 PGA Tour season (as well as once on the European Tour). He’s got a runner-up in Vegas, was solo fourth at the Tournament of Champions and T-11 last week at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

His elite ball-striking translates to any venue as he’s one of the game’s more consistent players. Cantlay sits in seventh on Tour in strokes gained approach (1.015). He’s had some struggles putting of late, but he’ll still have an advantage putting Riviera’s familiar poa greens.