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The Genesis Invitational at famed Riviera Country Club in California is one of the best-known stops on the PGA Tour. It has a list of storied winners although, perhaps just as famously, Riviera enjoys notoriety as one of the few courses that Tiger Woods has never tamed. Woods has had ten goes at taking the trophy here and never been successful although he does have a second place and eight top 20s so it’s not bamboozled him too much. It’s the last event on the West Coast swing and has been in existence since 1926 when originally known as the Los Angeles Open. Riviera is a par 71 measuring 7,322 yards and, very unusually for this part of the world, features Kikuya grass on the fairways. Why? That strain was used on the nearby Polo grounds (once a popular sport in Los Angeles) and it spread to Riviera. The Poa Annua greens are small, hard to hit and the course boasts plenty of lengthy par fours. Although Tiger hasn’t conquered both, there is some great correlation between Riviera and Augusta National. “It’s a shot-maker’s course. I feel like I’m a very good iron player. It’s a good second‑shot course,” said Fred Couples, a two-time winner at Riviera. Also a winner of the Masters Green Jacket in 1992, Couples and many others have used those exact same comments to describe Augusta. Riviera also puts an emphasis on creativity – another reason why it correlates well with Augusta. Angles to consider Course form Since the rain-hit 36-hole edition in 2005, no less than nine of the last 16 winners had enjoyed a previous top-two finish at the course. Last year’s winner J.B. Holmes had previously finished third at Riviera. Getting reps in has been vital too as 13 of the last 14 winners had played the course at least five times. Strokes Gained: Approach If, as noted, Riviera is a second-shot course, the best stat for measuring healthy iron play is this one. Last year’s winner Holmes was 6th for SG: Approach, runner-up Justin Thomas was 4th in that category and fourth-placed Marc Leishman 3rd. Strokes Gained: Off The Tee A trawl through past winners also shows that previous winners had strong recent SG: Off The Tee figures. The last four – J.B. Holmes, Bubba Watson (twice) and Dustin Johnson – had all finished in the top seven for SG: OTT in one of their previous two starts. Selections The above angles have been used to create a shortlist from which the following players are selected. Bubba Watson The left-hander has won this event in alternate years – 2014, 2016 and 2018 – so is due again! As well as his famed reputation for thriving on the same courses which suit his unusual eye, Bubba also brings current form to the table after a sixth in the Farmers Insurance followed by a third at the Phoenix Open in his last two starts. Bubba was in the top seven for SG: OTT in both those events and is 21st for SG: Approach this season so the planets look aligned for another big week. Hideki Matsuyama The Japanese star has played this event five times with form figures of 9-MC-11-4-23 so is a proven figure at Riviera. In his last eight starts on the PGA Tour, he’s been in the top 16 in seven of them, including a second and a third in the Zozo Championship and CJ Cup. He ranks 14th in SG: Approach this season. Marc Leishman Leishman has already lifted a trophy on the West Coast Swing when landing the Farmers Insurance Open last time out. After a week off, he returns to action at Riviera where he was fourth last year and fifth in 2016. Like Bubba and Matsuyama, he’s played well at Augusta and the stats this year show him third in Strokes Gained: Approach while he was ranked 2nd in SG: Off The Tee at the Sony Open. Tips: 1-2; -0.72pts 1pt e.w. Bubba Watson at 25/1 (Skybet 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8) mc 1pt e.w. Hideki Matsuyama at 28/1 (Paddy Power 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8) 5th 1pt e.w. Marc Leishman at 50/1 (Unibet 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6,) 43rd
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