No surprise, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is the +400 favorite. He has been ninth and 25th in his first two events this year.
The PGA Tour’s Genesis Invitational, a limited-field Signature Event, usually takes place at storied Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, but that couldn’t happen this year due to the California wildfires so it will be held about 120 miles south at Torrey Pines in San Diego. Scottie Scheffler is favoured on the golf odds.
The Genesis Invitational benefits Tiger Woods’ foundation, and he is set to play in his first official Tour event since the British Open last July when he missed the cut. I’m a little surprised that he is simply for health reasons and that his mother, Kultida Woods, recently passed away at age 80.
Tiger remains on 82 career Tour wins, tied with Sam Snead for most in history, and has won at Torrey Pines eight total times but has never captured this event. Woods made his PGA Tour debut at Riviera in 1992 as a 16-year-old and missed the cut. Tiger withdrew after a first-round 72 last year but not due to his problematic legs but instead flu-like symptoms. Woods is +20000 to win this year but his winning days on the Tour seem finished.
It was also important to Woods that this year’s tournament at least stayed in Southern California to help raise money as other options included Las Vegas and the Phoenix area. The California wildfires destroyed more than 10,000 homes and killed at least 29 people. This tournament had been held at Riviera every year since 1999.
Torrey Pines hosted the Farmers Insurance Open two weeks ago and American Harris English won (+4500 this week). He held onto his first 54-hole lead in four years, shooting a final-round 1-over 73 to win by one stroke over Sam Stevens. Note that in the Farmers, all golfers play one of their first two rounds on the Torrey Pines North Course, but this will be held solely on the main South Course, a par 72 at 7,765 yards. It’s a field of 72 players but there is a cut to the Top 50 and ties after 36 holes.
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama is the defending champion. He shot final-round 9-under 62 at Riviera to rally from six strokes back of 54-hole leader Patrick Cantlay to finish at 17-under 267 and win by two over Luke List and Will Zalatoris. Matsuyama had 47-footer for birdie at No. 18 to tie Ted Tryba’s course-record 61 (third round, 1999), but it missed right. It was Matsuyama’s ninth PGA Tour title at the time, passing K.J. Choi (eight) for most Tour wins by an Asian-born player.
Matsuyama has added two more wins since, including this year’s opening Sentry in Hawaii. The last repeat winner of the Genesis was Phil Mickelson in 2009, and Matsuyama is +2500 to do so. Non-Americans have won this event three straight years and four of the past five. I liked Norway’s Viktor Hovland last year, and he was T19.
Genesis Invitational Golf Odds
To no surprise, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is the +400 favorite. He has been ninth and 25th in his first two events this year, perhaps a bit rusty after suffering a hand injury on Christmas that sidelined him. Scheffler has never contended in this tournament or in the Farmers Insurance Open that is held annually at Torrey Pines. He was still dealing with that injury when the Tour was there a few weeks ago.
Rory McIlroy (+650) tries for back-to-back wins on Tour as he won at Pebble Beach on Feb. 2 in his season debut in the United States. Rory skipped last week’s stop in Phoenix. McIlroy has not won this tournament or the Farmers at Torrey. Collin Morikawa (+1400) was a runner-up in the 2022 Genesis. He didn’t play the Farmers this year with a best of third at that event.
Thomas Detry is +4500 to win back-to-back weeks after earning his first Tour victory Sunday at the WM Phoenix Open. He shot a final-round 6-under 65 to lap the field by seven shots and was the first Belgian PGA Tour champion in history. He was T15 at this year’s Farmers.
A Canadian has won here twice and they were both lefty Mike Weir, going back-to-back in 2003-04. Adam Hadwin shot up the leaderboard with a final-round 65 last year to finish T4. Adam Svensson was T10, Corey Conners T24, Mackenzie Hughes T31 and Nick Taylor T39. Taylor Pendrith is +3300 this week (solid track record at Torrey, including T7 at this year’s Farmers), with Conners +6000, Nick Taylor +10000, Hughes +15000 and Hadwin +20000.
Genesis Invitational Golf Predictions
I like American Tony Finau at +4500. He has not won this event but has two runners-up and also has a second at the Farmers at Torrey Pines in his career.
