2023 Genesis Invitational: PGA Tour Betting Odds
It’s back to California for the PGA Tour this week as it heads to Los Angeles to complete the early West Coast Swing for the Genesis Invitational with Jon Rahm favored on the golf odds – but that’s overshadowed by Tiger Woods playing for the first time in several months.
Like last week’s WM Phoenix Open, this is a newly elevated tournament and the purse is up to $20 million. That it’s also an invitational brings a few more perks to the winner. The field was increased from 120 to 134 golfers.
Historic 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 course for the 60th time and a par 71 at approximately 7,330 yards. It has hosted three major championships previously and will host the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open and the 2028 Olympic golf competition.
This will be Tiger’s first PGA Tour start since the 2022 British Open at St. Andrews. He last played the Genesis in 2020 when he shot 69-73-76-77 and finished 68th in the field. Woods made his debut at Riviera in 1992 while he was a 16-year-old high school sophomore on a sponsor exemption and missed the cut by six shots. He has never won this event despite it being so close to his childhood home.
Tiger suffered debilitating leg injuries soon after the 2021 Genesis Invitational and now is mostly limited to major championship tournaments. He’s +10000 this week to win and would break a tie with Sam Snead for all-time victories as both have 82.
Makes sense that Tiger’s return is here as dating to 2009, the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption has been given to a minority golfer for the Genesis Invitational as a way to represent the advancement of diversity in golf. Tiger, the tournament host, announced Marcus Byrd would receive the exemption this year. It will be Byrd’s second career start on the PGA Tour after the 2022 Corales Puntacana Championship.
The defending champion is Chile’s Joaquin Niemann. He shot a final round even-par 71 to finish at 19 under and the first wire-to-wire winner of The Genesis Invitational in 53 years. Niemann was one shot shy of the tournament record set in 1985 by Lanny Wadkins when it was called the Los Angeles Open. It was Niemann’s second career PGA Tour win, and he will not add a third anytime soon as he’s now a member of the LIV Series.
Genesis Invitational Golf Odds
Off a third-place finish at the Phoenix Open on Sunday, Spain’s Jon Rahm is the +800 favourite and would return to No. 1 with a win. He has two Top 10s in his past four trips here but yet to win.
Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler are each +1000. Scheffler returned to No. 1 in the world with Sunday’s repeat title at the Phoenix Open and fifth career PGA Tour win. Scheffler closed with a 6-under 65 to beat Canadian Nick Taylor by two strokes. Scheffler’s best finish here is T7 last year. McIlroy fell from No. 1 to No. 2 in the world with a T32 on Sunday but can get back to the top spot this week. He has been T10 in three of his past four visits here but yet to win.
Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele are each +1600 with Tony Finau +1800 and Max Homa +2000. Homa, who won the Genesis two years ago, already has two PGA Tour wins this season and comes off a T13 at the Phoenix Open. Finau has been a runner-up here twice, last in 2021 when he lost in a playoff to Homa. Thomas was a runner-up in 2019, and Schauffele has a best finish of T9.
A Canadian has won here twice and both the same guy: Mike Weir going back-to-back in 2003-04. Last year was rough for Canadians as none played the weekend: Corey Conners, Mackenzie Hughes, Taylor Pendrith, Adam Hadwin and Roger Sloan missed the cut. Hadwin is +8000 this week with Conners +10000, Taylor +10000 off his runner-up Sunday at the Phoenix Open, Adam Svensson +30000 and Hughes +30000.
Genesis Invitational Golf Predictions
We like Viktor Hovland at +2800 as he has been Top 5 in both trips to Riviera.