Horses for Courses: Riviera provides familiar walk for TOUR stars

The city of blinding lights welcomes 131 of the best players to The Genesis Invitational at The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades. Considered a classic course in every sense, this masterpiece was designed by legendary architect George C. Thomas in the late 1920s. A wonderful test featuring doglegs, elevation changes, Kikuyu grass and Poa annua greens will test not only all 14 clubs in the bag but the space between the ears.

The elevated event, a designation shared with only the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Memorial tournament, features a prize pool of $20 million with the winner taking home $3.6 million plus 550 FedExCup points.

Many aspects in golf have changed in recent years but Riviera’s par-71, 7,332-yard layout, greens and design has not. Adam Scott (+5500), the tournament’s all-time winning money leader, fell in love in his first visit, winning a weather-shortened event in 36 holes in 2005. He returned the following year to take second and added another T2 in 2016. Playing every event since 2016, the Australian returned to the winner's circle officially in 2020 and cashed a T4 last year. He's cashed in nine straight and 13 of 14 career. Nobody playing this week can match his top-10 returns, seven from 14 attempts.

Southern California native Max Homa (+2000) cracked the code here in 2021 as he defeated Tony Finau in a playoff to win in his fifth visit. Signing for a T5 with a 65 on the card in 2020 should have provided the first clue. Defending in his own backyard last year he opened with 66 before collecting a T10. His streak is currently at four in a row and 13 of his last 16 rounds are in the red, including 10 of 11.

Looking to regain the mark of world No. 1, Rory McIlroy (+950)returns to "Hogan's Alley" for the sixth consecutive season and seventh appearance overall. Only missing the weekend once (2021) he's never cashed outside the top 20. Top-10 returns include three of the last four years, with a T4 in 2019 the pinnacle. Interestingly, he's only posted one round of 22 lower than 67 – that was a second-round 63 in 2019.

Justin Thomas (+1600)never missed a weekend in his first five trips to Riviera before back-to-back early exits in 2020 and 2021. The ship was righted last year, as his T6 included his seventh score of 67 or better from 28 career rounds (64 in Round 2). Thomas will feel he's owed one here, as he led by five in the final round in 2019 before settling for second. His last five trips have resulted in a trio of top-10 paydays and two MC. Volatile.

For those that are more visually inclined, take a look at the breakdown below for event-specific data on some of the top players in the field – and some insight on a few that may not be household names but could surprise this week given course fit and history:

-odds courtesy of BETMGM.COM-

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