One of the most iconic courses on the planet plays host to this week’s Genesis Invitational, the third Signature Event of the 2024 PGA Tour season.
Genesis Invitational 2024: SB Nation’s Playing Through staff predicts winner
Tiger Woods makes his season debut at the Genesis Invitational, as Riviera hosts the third Signature Event of the year.
Jack Milko has been playing golf since he was five years old. He has yet to record a hole-in-one, but he did secure an M.A. in Sports Journalism from St. Bonaventure University.
Riviera Country Club, aptly nicknamed “Hogan’s Alley,” will once again test the best players in the world, and this week, the field includes Tiger Woods, who also serves as tournament host.
Eighteen of the top 20 players in the Official World Golf Rankings are slated to tee it up at Riviera, with LIV Golf’s Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton skipping out.
Funny enough, Rahm prevailed by two shots at the Genesis Invitational a season ago, fending off the likes of Max Homa, Patrick Cantlay, and Will Zalatoris. Rahm’s win marked his third victory of the 2023 season, serving as a harbinger of things to come at Augusta National.
With this in mind, let us reveal who the Playing Through crew has picked to lift the trophy at Riviera:
Kendall Capps - Senior Editor
I am going back to the Justin Thomas well.
For six straight years, he had been one of the best ball strikers in the world, and this course typically rewards ball strikers.
Last year, when Thomas had an uncharacteristically poor season, it was specifically due to his Strokes Gained Approach. The two-time PGA Championship winner went from elite to near the bottom of the Tour in this metric.
And yet, in 2024, Thomas has bounced back with authority. His numbers are back to where they were in the first few tournaments. The results have demonstrated that, too, as Thomas has tied for 3rd, 6th, and most recently tied for 12th at the WM Phoenix Open.
Plus, Riviera has the fourth largest greens on the PGA Tour, and Thomas’s putting has been solid, having gained strokes putting in five of six events this year.
Jack Milko - Staff Writer
Riviera is a stern test that requires exquisite shot-making and precision. It also has some of the most complex bunkers in the world, many of which surround Riviera’s tricky greens and punish anyone who misfires.
As such, ball striking is paramount, and it is no wonder that of the last five winners here, four of them ranked among the top 6 in strokes gained: approaching the green. The one outlier here was Max Homa in 2021, who finished 21st in this statistical category that week. And yet, he gained 13.414 strokes overall, which tied for first.
Who also gained 13.414 strokes that week?
Tony Finau did, and I am picking him to prevail this time around. Ironically, Finau lost to Homa in a two-hole playoff in 2021, as the former California Golden Bear closed out the tournament on the par-3 14th.
Nevertheless, Finau has had a great run at Riviera. He tied for 2nd in 2018, finishing two strokes behind Bubba Watson. Overall, Finau has finished within the top 25 in four of nine tries in his career.
He has made the cut in all four events he has played in this year, with his best finish coming at the Farmers Insurance Open, where he tied for 6th. If not for a poor putting performance, he likely would have won.
This season, Finau ranks 9th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: approaching the green, and I like his superb iron play to lead him to his 7th career PGA Tour win.
Savannah Leigh Richardson - Staff Writer
I’m going with Max Homa to win again at Riviera this week.
He plays so dang well here, and in his last four starts, he has not finished outside the top 10. Last year, Homa finished solo second to Rahm, carding four sub-70 rounds on the par-71 layout. He even signed for a 7-under 64 to begin the tournament.
Yet, in 2024, Homa has struggled to sustain any momentum. He tied for 14th and 13th at The Sentry and Farmers Insurance Open, respectively. But he finished almost dead last at Pebble Beach and then missed the cut at the WM Phoenix Open.
But since Homa avoided the tomfoolery last Saturday and had a couple of days of extra rest, I like him to prevail on a course he is quite familiar with.
Homa wins in his hometown again, as he is out for blood in Los Angeles.
Who do you think will take home the trophy Sunday evening? Let us know in the comments below.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
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