Hometown hero Max Homa headlines Horses for Courses at The Genesis Invitational

The Riviera Country Club has been an anchor of Los Angeles golf history. The famous club and course has hosted the U.S. Open, PGA Championship, the U.S. Senior Open and the U.S. Amateur since opening for business in 1927.

The Genesis Invitational, born out of the Los Angeles Open, will be played for the 62nd time at Riviera. Tiger Woods has been the official host since 2020, and this season, a field of 70 players compete at the third of eight Signature Events on TOUR.

The classic George C. Thomas design runs up, down and through the Santa Monica Canyon. Experience pays off at Riviera. Only two of the last 14 winners were younger than 30. Only four winners this century have made The Genesis Invitational their maiden TOUR victory.

The 36-hole cut will see the top 50 and ties plus anyone within 10 shots of the lead play the weekend. The winner claims $4 million of the $20 million purse plus 700 FedExCup points.

Horses for Courses

Growing up 23 miles up the road in Burbank, Max Homa (+1800) attended this event as a kid. The runner-up from last year and 2021 champion will look to extend his streak of top-10 finishes to five and add to his streak of cuts made to six. The local favorite has posted 17 of his last 20 rounds in the red, and only two have been on the wrong side of 71. Last season, he posted all four rounds in the 60s for the first time.

SG: Tee-to-Green

Players listed are in the field this week; 2023 season stats.

Finding fairways and greens in regulation this week will separate the contenders from the pretenders. Over the last six editions, Riviera has ranked in the top 10 in the most difficult fairways and GIRs to find five times. The par 71 plays 7,322 yards, as it has since 2016, and includes tight fairways with elevation changes and doglegs protected by barrancas, Kikuyu rough and gnarly bunkers. There is no water on the course. From the list above, eight of the 10 players listed are also in the top 13 choices at BetMGM Sportsbook.

Australian Adam Scott (+3300) has won more money in Pacific Palisades than anyone in the history of this event. The unofficial winner on debut in 2005, the last to accomplish that feat, returned the following season to lose by a shot in defense. The 2020 champion has cashed in 14 of 15 appearances, half resulting in top-10 paydays, including T4 in 2022, his most recent of the lot.

SG: Approach the Green

The fourth-largest greens on TOUR average 7,500 square feet. The Poa annua targets are angled, titled, quick and are tough to hold without spin especially out of the Kikuyu or sand. Tight driving conditions are highlighted by fairways averaging only 27 yards in width. Players who can control approaches from less-than-perfect lies will have an easier time salvaging par. Sand save percentage and proximity rank as some of the most difficult on TOUR. Correct misses will help. The last five winners have produced four champions who ranked in the top six in this category. The last two champions led the field.

Another local, Collin Morikawa (+1800), who grew up just east of Homa in La Canada-Flintridge, will look to join his fellow University of California, Berkeley alumnus holding the trophy. The PGA Championship winner at TPC Harding Park outside San Francisco will look to add to his recent successes in Los Angeles. Teeing it up for the fifth consecutive year, he’s yet to miss the weekend. The learning curve (T43-T26) from the first two visits has resulted in T6-T2 in the last two tournaments. Posting seven rounds of 68 or better from his last eight, the ball-striking test is right up his (Hogan’s) Alley.

Par-4 Scoring Average

More than half (six) of the 11 par-4 holes play 458 yards or longer, including the final four on the inward nine. The most famous of the par-4 challenges this week is No. 10. Listed at just 315 yards on the card, scores from two to seven can be in play. The last nine winners ranked in the top eight in this category before last season (T29).

Making his eighth start, Rory McIlroy (+1000) will be looking for his first finish on the podium. Cashing checks in six of seven attempts, the No. 2 player in the Official World Golf Ranking will be looking for his first victory in California. Top-10 paydays in three of four years between 2019-2022 were met with T29 last season, his only result outside of T20 when making the cut. A victory this week will allow him or Justin Thomas (+1600) to “one-up” the host as Woods has never won this event. Thomas, making his 10th start, came up short of the title in 2019. Leading by four shots after three rounds, he posted 75 to finish second. After missing the cut in 2020 and 2021, he ran T6 in 2022 and T20 last year.

Oddsmaker’s Extras

• Patrick Cantlay (+2000): After falling short of the weekend in his first two visits, the Long Beach native has produced five of his last six T17 or better, including a career-best solo third in 2023.
• Tony Finau (+2800): The 2018 runner-up was knocked out in a playoff by Homa in 2021. Making his 10th appearance, the big hitter has cashed six straight in the Santa Monica Canyon.
• Viktor Hovland (+1400): A quick study regardless of event or course, the Norwegian has already cashed inside the top five in two of his three career starts at Riviera. All 12 rounds have been par or better and include six rounds in the 60s.
• Will Zalatoris (+4000): A perfect three-from-three in cuts made as a professional, the ball-striking machine closed with 64 last year for solo fourth. Posting 71 or better from 11 of his last 12 rounds, he’s added T26 and T15 paydays to his account over the last three editions.
• Cameron Young (+3300): Posting 62 in just his second loop, the power player wasn’t intimidated on his first visit. Finishing second on 17-under, he returned last year and posted three more rounds in the red to claim T20.

-Odds courtesy of BETMGM.COM-

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