Genesis Invitational: Top 10 power rankings at Riviera
Last week’s field at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am didn’t exactly blow anyone out of the water, but the level is raised this week at one of the PGA Tour’s elevated status events, the Genesis Invitational.
Affectionately still known by some as the LA Open, the current iteration of this historic event brings 120 of the world’s best golfers to famed Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California. There is a standard 36-hole cut for top 65 and ties. There is no Monday qualifier.
Riviera opened in 1926 and has hosted this event intermittently since 1929 and annually since 1999.
Players are taking on a classic, tree-lined layout designed by George C. Thomas Jr. and William P. Bell. “Hogan’s Alley” has been lengthened to 7,322 yards to play at a par 71 today.
It’s a favorite among players and fans for the variety of shots required, the options players have from tee to green and the mix of tough and birdie-able holes.
There’s still room for the bomb and gouge types to find a groove. In fact, those are all who seem to win in recent years. Since 2014, Bubba Watson’s won three times along with Dustin Johnson and J.B. Holmes. Adam Scott and James Hahn also grabbed the trophy in that span and while neither are big hitters, they’re still above Tour average in driving distance.’
Six par-4s measure over 450 yards, so driver is in play often. Fairways are still important to approach Riviera’s small green complexes.
The fairways and rough are composed of kikuyu grass, a rare surface on Tour but one that is common in Africa and Australia. Three Aussies have combined for four wins at Riviera since 2001.
Players enjoy kikuyu when playing from the fairway, but it can test players’ short games with sticky lies in closely mown areas as well as unpredictable lies from thicker rough.
Greens are poa annua like we saw last week at Pebble Beach and common in California.
Winning score tends to fall in the low to mid double digits under par. Riviera can occasionally show its teeth when weather and conditions play a part like when. Hahn grinded out 6-under to eventually win in a playoff in 2015 and in 2012 when Bill Haas also won in a playoff at 7-under.
The weather forecast looks dry for the week with winds getting up into the teens miles per hour and temperatures in the 60s to low 70s.
The West Coast swing is coming to a bittersweet end this week, but we’re marching ever so closer to major championship season. The Genesis Invitational will offer most of the same names who will be at Augusta in less than two months.
Here are the 10 with the best chance to win in Tinsel Town.