After reaching into Monday to finish off the Pebble Beach Pro Am, it’s a short turnaround for the boys on the PGA Tour. At least they don’t have to travel far, just a short jaunt down the coast to Pacific Palisades for the Genesis Open, contested at the famed Riviera Country Club. The legendary course brings out a legendary field with 14 of the world’s top-20 players competing for the hardware.
Dustin Johnson, who won this event two years ago, came off as the betting favorite at BookMaker.eu with odds of +853. Justin Thomas ( +1206 ) and Rory McIlroy ( +1506 ) round out the top three favorites in what is a star-studded lineup. Three-time winner and defending champion Bubba Watson opened at +2012, slightly ahead of both Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, who each had odds of +2418.
Odds to Win Genesis Open at BookMaker.eu
Dustin Johnson +853
Justin Thomas +1206
Rory McIlroy +1506
Bryson Dechambeau +1609
Jon Rahm +1609
Xander Schauffele +1982
Bubba Watson +2012
Tiger Woods +2418
Phil Mickelson +2418
Jordan Spieth +2520
Tony Finau +2824
Adam Scott +3333
Hideki Matsuyama +3333
Patrick Cantlay +3639
Cameron Smith +3751
Paul Casey +4200
Tommy Fleetwood +4600
Marc Leishman +5000
Matt Kuchar +5500
Sergio Garcia +5500
Branden Grace +6000
Louis Oosthuizen +6000
Adam Hadwin +6000
Scott Stallings +7000
Chez Reavie +7500
Charles Howell III +7500
Sungjae Im +7500
Rafa Cabrera Bello +8000
Cameron Champ +8000
Jason Kokrak +8000
Kevin Na +8000
Tyrrell Hatton +8000
Martin Laird +8000
Si Woo Kim +9000
Keegan Bradley +9000
Sung Kang +9000
Scott Langley +10000
Danny Willett +10000
Russell Henley +10000
Abraham Ancer +10000
Andrew Putnam +10000
Luke List +10000
Charl Schwartzel +10000
Mackenzie Hughes +15000
J.B. Holmes +15000
Charley Hoffman +15000
Trey Mullinax +15000
Kevin Tway +15000
Ryan Moore +15000
Harold Varner III +15000
Field - Any Player Not Listed +275
Odds Analysis
Tiger Woods +2418
Expect a huge gathering when Tiger tees off, but don’t expect much in the way of success. Riviera has been the one venue on Tour that has tamed Tiger, yielding no victories to Woods in nine previous starts. Though he’s twice been runner-up here, he missed the cut last year and this is the only layout on the PGA Tour that Woods has played more than four times without hoisting the trophy. Tiger’s decline in distance off the tee since his return last year is an area that will prevent him from making up strokes. This isn’t the best venue for Woods and it makes us wonder if he would even be here if his foundation wasn’t hosting the event.
Bubba Watson +2012
An intriguing figure at Riviera, Bubba is no stranger to the podium after taking three of the last five titles. If you’re into numerology you might want to stay away from him. His even year success is quite revealing with titles in 2014, 2016 and 2018. But those odd years are something else. He’s just 2 for 6 with no top-10s, hmmmm. It would be silly to make a wager based on that, but bettors have done crazier things. Rather make an assessment based on form. Watson has never finished in the top-10 in any of his title defenses and he’s been all over the place recently. He missed the cut at the Sony Open and grabbed a share of fourth in Phoenix.
Matt Kuchar +5500
As well as Kuchar is playing it’s a bit surprising to see him with such long odds, and that’s why we’re looking at him as our top value pick. He finished T22 at Pebble Beach, his lowest finish in his last six starts. You could say he’s fading, but after two wins and a T4 and nothing outside the top-20 in his previous five, maybe he was due to falter. He’s playing as well as anyone on the Tour right now and his top-5 ranking in drive-accuracy is what makes him attractive at Riviera.
Dustin Johnson +853
We faded DJ last week and it proved to be the correct move. It was a lot to ask of him to return from a victory at the Saudi International and be coherent and alert enough to tackle the field at Pebble Beach. We’ll never know if jet lag played a role in his T45 finish, but now that he has his legs and is locked into the Pacific Time Zone, look for a much better showing. And DJ probably expects a stronger effort given the success he’s enjoyed at Riviera. He won here two years ago and has six career top-5s.
Courses: 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 the 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. Weather could be a factor, too. Like last week in Pebble Beach, rain and cold is in the forecast.
TV Coverage: Golf Channel, CBS
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