2022 Genesis Invitational: PGA Tour Betting Odds
The biggest story in golf last year happened soon after the 2021 Genesis Invitational ended. The event is run by the Tiger Woods Foundation, so Tiger would normally be playing but he didn’t then due to back surgery. He was on hand as the tournament host. Woods was still in the Los Angeles area when he was in a serious car accident a few days after – driving a 2021 Genesis GV80 SUV, incidentally – and he’s still not ready to return. He’s expected to be in attendance as the host. In 1992, this event was the site of Woods’ first PGA Tour event as an amateur player. It’s a rare tournament he never won as a professional.
One of the storied courses on the West Coast, Riviera Country Club – often called “Hogan’s Alley” after Ben Hogan, who won this event three times and the 1948 U.S. Open at Riviera — is the host. It’s a par 71 at around 7,320 yards. Because this is an invitational, it’s a smaller field of 120 players.
The defending champion is American Max Homa, who grew up in the Los Angeles area and used to attend the event as a kid. Homa missed a short birdie putt to win on the final hole of regulation but would beat Tony Finau on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff. The duo finished 72 holes at 12-under 272.
Homa has since won again, the 2021-22 season opening Fortinet Championship back in September. The last repeat winner of this tournament was Phil Mickelson in 2009. Sam Burns held the lead through each of the first three rounds a year ago but faded on the back-nine Sunday to finish a shot out of the playoff.
Genesis Invitational Golf Odds
All of the world’s Top 10 players are scheduled to play this week. No. 1 Jon Rahm is the +1000 favourite. He finished T10 on Sunday at the Phoenix Open. Rahm hasn’t been worse than T17 in three trips to this event, including T5 last year.
Patrick Cantlay is +1300 with Justin Thomas and Dustin Johnson both +1700. Cantlay lost in a playoff to Scottie Scheffler at the Phoenix Open. Cantlay’s best result at this event is T4. Thomas was a runner-up in 2019 but missed the cut the past two years. Johnson won here in 2017 and also has a couple of second-place finishes. Scheffler is +3200 to win back-to-back weeks. His best result here is T20. Defending champion Max Homa is +4800. He comes off a T14 Sunday.
A Canadian has won here twice: Mike Weir going back-to-back in 2003-04. Nick Taylor was the top Canadian in 2021 at T20. Adam Hadwin was T26, Mackenzie Hughes T32 and Corey Conners missed the cut. Conners is +7800 this week with Hughes +10700, Hadwin +12200 and Roger Sloan +65200. You can also bet Conners head-to-head at +100 vs. Abraham Ancer (-120). Hughes and Conners are both +230 to be the top Canadian.
Genesis Invitational Golf Predictions
Take Johnson and three-time champion Bubba Watson for Top 10s, but the winner is Cameron Smith at +2300. He has a sixth and fourth here and won the 2022 opening Tournament of Champions in Hawaii.