You know Major season is just around the corner when the big guns start pegging it up. The PGA Tour makes the short trek down the California coast to Pacific Palisades for this week’s Genesis Invitational. The status change means a smaller field, but it’s a stacked lineup with freshly minted world No. 1 Rory McIlroy listed as the betting favorite at online sportsbooks. How loaded is the field? Brooks Koepka, the man McIlroy supplanted at the top of the OWGR, is the ninth favorite. The top-six golfers in the world are set to take a twirl around famed Riviera Country Club, and that doesn’t include Tiger Woods, who gets another crack to win his record 83rd PGA title on a course he’s played the most on Tour without a victory. Visit BookMaker.eu for a complete list of betting odds when you’re ready to place a wager.
Odds to Win Genesis Invitational at BookMaker.eu
Rory McIlroy +775
Justin Thomas +954
Jon Rahm +1004
Dustin Johnson +1154
Tiger Woods +1658
Patrick Cantlay +1858
Xander Schauffele +1958
Bubba Watson +2058
Brooks Koepka +2262
Tony Finau +2462
Adam Scott +3475
Hideki Matsuyama +3578
Justin Rose +3882
Jason Day +4050
Patrick Reed +5050
Jordan Spieth +5050
Marc Leishman +5050
Collin Morikawa +5250
Bryson Dechambeau +5550
Phil Mickelson +6550
Sungjae Im +6550
Matthew Fitzpatrick +6973
Paul Casey +7050
Sergio Garcia +7550
J.B. Holmes +7700
Cameron Champ +7975
Abraham Ancer +8250
Kevin Na +9050
Joaquin Niemann +9050
Lanto Griffin +9289
Matt Kuchar +9850
Alex Noren +11050
Max Homa +11550
Cameron Smith +12050
Jason Kokrak +12050
Odds Analysis
Adam Scott +3475
We don’t always have to stick with the well-known players stacked at the top of the odds board. You might recall last year when J.B. Holmes snatched victory at Riviera. Holmes was well down the odds list and made those who threw down on him a lot of coin. With his history at Riviera, Scott isn’t that risky of a pick. He’s made 10 of 11 cuts with seven of those resulting in a top-15 finish. He was in contention last year until a Sunday 76 spoiled his plans. We haven’t seen him since winning the Australian PGA Championship before Christmas, but long layoffs don’t affect everyone.
Tiger Woods +1658
As mentioned in the opener Riviera is the course Woods has played the most on Tour without a victory. This week is a potential double-whammy for the Big Cat. He can get that elusive triumph and become the all-time leader in Tour wins at the same time. His best finish here is a runner-up and he started a revival trip with a T15 last year. It’s also been a satisfying beginning to the new season demonstrating Tiger still has game.
Tony Finau +2462
Finau’s game is similar to that of recent winners at Riviera. That along with his recent and course form make him standout to me as a potential winner. He lost in a playoff two weeks ago in Phoenix and he went T6-T14-5 in his previous three starts worldwide following a Presidents Cup victory. He finished two shots off the lead in tie for second here two years ago and followed that with a T15 last year. I keep going with him and one of these weeks it’s going to pay off.
Rory McIlroy +775
The best golfer in the world is now the best golfer in the world. McIlroy took over the No. 1 spot in the OWGR this week after a fourth-place or better finish in his last four starts. The run began with a T3 at the ZOZO Championship followed by a playoff win at the WGC-HSBC. Toss in a solo fourth at the Euro Tour’s DP World Tour Championship and a T3 at the FIO in his first 2020 start. He’s played this event only three times with a top-20 in each start, including a best T4 last year. McIlroy certainly is the safe bet.
Bubba Watson +2058
If you’re into the whole numerology thing then Bubba’s your guy. He’s won at Riviera in each of the last three even-numbered years, so this is his time. The other five times he made the cut he placed among the top-20 making this his most productive venue. He enters in fine form after a T3 in Phoenix and a T6 at the FIO. Winning in consecutive even-numbered years is a streak, three is a trend and four is a nice wager.
Course: Riviera Country Club – 7,322 yards, Par 71
Riviera is a course that plays longer than its listed yardage. The layout consists of six par-4s that each play at 455 yards or longer. The par-5s are no cakewalk either with two of the three playing over 580 yards. The driver becomes a huge weapon this weekend. Those who can hit the ball a long way with accuracy have an advantage with narrow fairways. There are no water hazards, but there are plenty of bunkers lining the playing area and thick rough that swallows golf balls. The layout screams conservative play, but as we know that doesn’t lead to playing in the final group on Sunday.
TV Coverage: CBS, Golf Channel
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