It was another exciting weekend at TPC Scottsdale.  Scottie Scheffler shot a final round 65 to clinch back-to-back titles at the Waste Management Open.  The victory moves him back into the number one spot in the world golf rankings.  Jon Rahm continued his fantastic run with a solo third place which was the best finish of his career at this tournament.  That was his seventh Top 10 in his last eight starts.  Rickie Fowler scored the highlight of the weekend with an ace on the 7th hole on Sunday afternoon.  He now has back to back Top 12 finishes with hopefully more to come in 2023.  We had all the usual debauchery going on at the 16th hole throughout the weekend which you can catch the highlights of on social media whenever you would like.  It is time to move on from the fun and get back into the flow of the PGA Tour schedule up the west coast to Pacific Palisades, California.  

The Genesis Invitational has been known by other title sponsors but there's only one word you need to know this weekend, Riviera. The tournament is played at the prestigious Riviera Golf and Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California. The course is a par 71 and it measures out 7,322 yards with poa annua greens.  It has hosted three major championships; the 1948 U.S. Open, the 1983 PGA Championship, and the 1995 PGA Championship.  The winning scores at Riviera have ranged from 7 under par to 19 under par and it all comes down to the final two Par 5’s.

The big bombers do have an advantage because they can reach both of those par 5’s in two and lower their scores.  This doesn’t mean that the course managers can’t have success because they can by using their accuracy.  The fairways are very narrow which makes it tough on the bigger hitters to keep it in the short grass.  The greens are also on the smaller size as well compared to most other PGA Tour courses.  One of the most important stats this weekend will be rough proximity.  This number tells you how good the player is at getting themselves from the rough on the green close to the hole.  That’s important because these players will miss fairways and will need to get out of trouble and get the ball close to the hole.

If you are looking for a course comparison, When you look at course comparisons, Augusta National is one of the best.  The reason this course keeps coming up is that it favors left handed players.  Bubba Watson, Phil Mickelson and Mike Wier are the only players to have won both the Masters and at Riviera, and what do those players have in common? They're lefties!   

This an Invitational which has given this event a truly stacked field which could rival even the Masters.  You've got 23 of the Top 25 golfers in the most current World Golf Rankings taking part this weekend.  All 30 players at the top of the FedEx Cup standings including Rory McIlory, Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Max Homa, and Hideki Matsuyama will be in attendance at the Genesis Invitational.  The 2022 winner will not be Joaquin Niemann because he has left for the LIV Tour.  Being that this is an invitational, we’ve got a slightly smaller field at 132.   Tiger Woods tees it up this weekend which is surprising given his history at this event.  Despite winning 82 times on the PGA Tour, he has not won here in 11 tries which is the most he’s played without a victory.  

The weather will not play much of a factor at this tournament.  We will see partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the low 60s.  There is a chance of rain on Saturday morning which could affect you playing those showdown lineups but not much you can do if you are playing the full weekend slate.

When you've got such a terrific field, it makes narrowing down your personal pool of players to use even more difficult.  If you are mass entering, go ahead and try to mix up those Top 10 players as best you can but if you are not that type of player, you have to stand your ground on a few select golfers.  I tried to avoid the chalky plays as much as possible with a few exceptions.  I do love the 7K range this week, lots of value to help you make a nice balanced lineup across the board.  It’ll be once again to just focus on one course instead of two or three this weekend.

ONE AND DONE SELECTION: Tony Finau

Pos
(Click to sort ascending)
Player
(Click to sort ascending)
DK
(Click to sort ascending)
Draft %
(Click to sort ascending)
FD
(Click to sort ascending)
Draft %
(Click to sort ascending)
GJon Rahm1110021.3%1220035.5%

I really don’t feel like repeating myself but Rahm continues to be worth the price of admission.  He has seven Top 10 finishes in his last eight starts with TWO wins.  He has never missed the cut in four trips to Riviera with two Top 10 finishes.  Just keep finding ways to get him into your lineups.  

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GJustin Thomas1010022.1%1160019.6%

I did not put him in the playbook last week because he didn’t have any high finishes recently.  He does now after his Top 5 at the Waste Management last weekend.  Justin has three Top 10 finishes in his last five trips to Riviera.  The 7th ranked player in the world sits at 2nd in Around the Green, 7th in Birdie Average, and 7th in Driving Distance of All Drives, and 8th in Tee to Green.

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GMax Homa970019.2%1130023.7%

While he may have disappointed at the Waste Management with a 39th place finish, he did extend his cuts made streak to 10 which includes two wins.  Homa has a stellar record at Riviera with a win in 2021 and two other Top 10 finishes.  He is just fantastic across the board ranking 6th in Total, 14th in Tee to Green, 17th in Approach, 20th in Putting and 24th in Around the Green.  The dude is just money week in and week out.  

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GTony Finau950020.5%1140017.8%

Mr. Finau has had a nice start to the 2022-2023 season.  He has made his last five cuts with a win and no finish below 16th over that run.  Tony has also made the cut in his last five trips to Riviera with very boom or bust finishes.  He has two runner ups, a 15th and two finishes of higher than 30th.  The numbers are phenomenal early on, ranking 2nd in Total, 3rd in Tee to Green, 4th in Birdie Average, 5th in Scoring Average, 9th in Approach, 15th in Off the Tee, 18th in Scrambling and 25th in Putting.  When you’ve got a field like this one, he could slip through the crack and make for a great value in the upper tier.  

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GPatrick Cantlay900021.9%1070022.6%

Cantlay ended a streak of 12 straight cuts made at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.  That doesn’t bother me because I know his ownership will be depressed this week in an event where he's got really good history.  He has made the cut at this tournament five straight times with a Top 5 and two Top 15 finishes.  The price tag is fantastic for his level of skill.  

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GViktor Hovland890017.8%1080017.3%

It is hard to ignore Hovland at Riviera.  He has looked terrific in his two trips with two Top 5 finishes.  Another player who did not perform great last weekend at the Waste Management but it won’t hold me back from rostering him at the Genesis.  Despite his 42nd place, he has made 10 straight cuts with 7 Top 20 finishes.  He ranks 1st in Rough Proximity, 4th in Total Driving, 8th in Birdie Average, 14th in Scoring Average, 14th in Off the Tee, 46th in Tee to Green, and 58th in Greens in Regulation.  There are values all over the board this weekend and this is one of the best. 

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GJordan Spieth860019.9%1090016.6%

Jordan has gotten the rust out over the last few weeks and finished Top 10 at the Waste Management.  Riviera is one of his favorite spots on the PGA Tour calendar.  In his last nine trips, he has made the cut eight times with four Top 15 finishes.  He finished last season ranked 18th in Tee to Green, 21st in Birdie Average, 27th in Around the Green, 31st in Approach, and 38th in Off the Tee.  I will come down to putting for Jordan on this poa annua greens because we know that this course fits his game.   

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GMatt Fitzpatrick83009.6%1000013.2%

He really hurt us at Pebble Beach but Matthew looked much better at the Waste Management finishing Top 30.  Everyone will be jumping on Jason Day at this price tag and recent play, I think he’ll give you better ownership with a better course history.  He is a dream fit for this course from his accuracy to short game.  Fitzpatrick finished fifth in his last trip to the Genesis.  He ranks 11th in Total Driving, 12th in Around the Green, 24th in Driving Accuracy, 27th in Greens in Regulation, 31st in Off the Tee, 38th in Birdie Average, and 44th in Putting.  He’s the 10th ranked player in the world for a reason, a fantastic all around player.

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GJustin Rose80005.8%98004.5%

Just when you thought he was done, he goes out and wins the Pebble Beach Pro-Am.  While he is still a risky play because of his age, Rose is playing good golf right now.  The 42-year-old hasn’t been back to Riviera in a while but had great success on this course.  Rose has seven straight cuts made at this tournament with four finishes inside the Top 16.  He is not a bomber by any means but he knows his way around this track better than most.  We may see a spike in his ownership because of his last start but the price tag is still reasonable.

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GWyndham Clark780012.2%95008.5%

We all know that Mr. Clark can hit the ball a mile and putt better than about 90 percent of the tour players out there.  The ball striking inconsistencies have been his Achilles heel but he finished last season making 10 of his last 11 cuts with two Top 10 finishes.  He has kept the momentum rolling into this season making his last seven cuts with four finishes of 16th or better including just last week in Arizona.  The former standout at the University of Oregon ranks 4th in Eagles, 6th in Driving Distance, 33rd in Around the Green, 45th in Tee to Green, 60th in Scoring Average, and 68th in Off the Tee.  While his putting hasn’t been as good this season, we know he has a good history on poa with an 8th place and 17th place finish at Riviera.  

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GAdam Hadwin75004.2%92002.2%

The Canadian made the cut in his last 12 starts.  This will be his third start of the new year and continues to make smart decisions with his starts.  Hadwin ended a streak of seven straight cuts made at Riviera last year.  He has five finishes of 26th or better including a 6th in 2018.  The man is not a big hitter but I spoke about how these course managers can contend at this event.  He is very accurate, especially off the tee.  Hadwin ranks 16th in Approach, 17th in Putting, 33rd in Scoring Average, 37th in Birdie Average, 37th in Driving Accuracy, and 47th in Tee to Green.  This price tag is downright tasty this weekend. 

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GTommy Fleetwood73004.0%93004.0%

We saw Tommy tee it up for the first time in the United States since the CJ CUP back in October and he missed the cut.  He had finished Top 5 in three of his last four starts of the 2022 calendar year.  He finished last season ranked 5th in Around the Green, 8th in Scoring Average, 13th in Scrambling, 26th in Putting, and 37th in Tee to Green.  Tommy has made the cut in both of his trips to Riviera with one finish inside the Top 30.  The name of the game is accuracy and short game which plays right into his hands. 

Game Type: GPP
GTaylor Moore72005.3%85006.1%

This kid is really finding his way and I’m going to ride the hot hand.  He finished last season inside the Top 75 in FedEx Cup standings.  He also ranked 32nd in Birdie Average, 39th in Greens in Regulation, and 49th in Off the Tee.  Another reason I like Moore this weekend is being ranked 22nd in Scrambling this season.  Moore has made three straight cuts and has finished 15th or better in each of those starts.  He also finished 21st in his debut at this event last year.  While he was flying under the radar for awhile there, his ownership I feel like is going to continue to grow.  

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GPatrick Rodgers70007.2%850011.8%

It was a bad season for Rodgers in 2021-2022 but he seems to have gotten things back on track.  He’s has three finishes of 16th or better in his last five starts including last weekend at the Waste Management.  The reason I like him this weekend is because he excels in two areas, driving and putting which has served him well at this tournament.  While he missed the cut in 2022, prior to that he had made the cut five straight times with two finishes inside the Top 15.  He ranks 13th in Eagles, 27th in Scoring Average, 31st in Driving Distance, 38th in Off the Tee, 42nd in Birdie Average, 44th in Around the Green, and 50th in Tee to Green.  The key will be if he can keep the ball on the fairway, his distance will give him an edge on the field.

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GAdrian Meronk69006.2%85003.9%

Meronk is a regular on the DP World Tour.  He is 29-years-old from Poland with two international wins under his belt.  While he only has one cut made on the PGA Tour in his career, I feel like he is a good fit for this event.  He finished last season ranked 11th in Putting, 12th in Stroke Average, 24th in Driving Distance,and 40th in Greens in Regulation.  A big hitter with a very well rounded game.  He has a chance to compete against the best in the world and show off his skills.  Meronk finished 10th and 4th in two of his last three starts on the DP World Tour. 

Game Type: GPP
GSam Ryder67003.8%84003.8%

Ryder is becoming a regular in the playbook and well deserved.  He finished 8th at the Mayakoba, 4th in at the Farmers and 20th at the Waste Management.  Sam has made the cut in two of his three visits to Riviera with a Top 30 finish last year.  The stats continue to impress for his price tag ranking 10th in Putting, 13th in Approach, 27th in Birdie Average, 34th in Proximity and 44th in Scoring Average.     This is the type of guy I’ll use in any lineup this weekend as salary relief because I think he’s safe. 

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
11100
12200

I really don’t feel like repeating myself but Rahm continues to be worth the price of admission.  He has seven Top 10 finishes in his last eight starts with TWO wins.  He has never missed the cut in four trips to Riviera with two Top 10 finishes.  Just keep finding ways to get him into your lineups.  

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
10100
11600

I did not put him in the playbook last week because he didn’t have any high finishes recently.  He does now after his Top 5 at the Waste Management last weekend.  Justin has three Top 10 finishes in his last five trips to Riviera.  The 7th ranked player in the world sits at 2nd in Around the Green, 7th in Birdie Average, and 7th in Driving Distance of All Drives, and 8th in Tee to Green.

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
9700
11300

While he may have disappointed at the Waste Management with a 39th place finish, he did extend his cuts made streak to 10 which includes two wins.  Homa has a stellar record at Riviera with a win in 2021 and two other Top 10 finishes.  He is just fantastic across the board ranking 6th in Total, 14th in Tee to Green, 17th in Approach, 20th in Putting and 24th in Around the Green.  The dude is just money week in and week out.  

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
9500
11400

Mr. Finau has had a nice start to the 2022-2023 season.  He has made his last five cuts with a win and no finish below 16th over that run.  Tony has also made the cut in his last five trips to Riviera with very boom or bust finishes.  He has two runner ups, a 15th and two finishes of higher than 30th.  The numbers are phenomenal early on, ranking 2nd in Total, 3rd in Tee to Green, 4th in Birdie Average, 5th in Scoring Average, 9th in Approach, 15th in Off the Tee, 18th in Scrambling and 25th in Putting.  When you’ve got a field like this one, he could slip through the crack and make for a great value in the upper tier.  

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
9000
10700

Cantlay ended a streak of 12 straight cuts made at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.  That doesn’t bother me because I know his ownership will be depressed this week in an event where he's got really good history.  He has made the cut at this tournament five straight times with a Top 5 and two Top 15 finishes.  The price tag is fantastic for his level of skill.  

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
8900
10800

It is hard to ignore Hovland at Riviera.  He has looked terrific in his two trips with two Top 5 finishes.  Another player who did not perform great last weekend at the Waste Management but it won’t hold me back from rostering him at the Genesis.  Despite his 42nd place, he has made 10 straight cuts with 7 Top 20 finishes.  He ranks 1st in Rough Proximity, 4th in Total Driving, 8th in Birdie Average, 14th in Scoring Average, 14th in Off the Tee, 46th in Tee to Green, and 58th in Greens in Regulation.  There are values all over the board this weekend and this is one of the best. 

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
8600
10900

Jordan has gotten the rust out over the last few weeks and finished Top 10 at the Waste Management.  Riviera is one of his favorite spots on the PGA Tour calendar.  In his last nine trips, he has made the cut eight times with four Top 15 finishes.  He finished last season ranked 18th in Tee to Green, 21st in Birdie Average, 27th in Around the Green, 31st in Approach, and 38th in Off the Tee.  I will come down to putting for Jordan on this poa annua greens because we know that this course fits his game.   

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
8300
10000

He really hurt us at Pebble Beach but Matthew looked much better at the Waste Management finishing Top 30.  Everyone will be jumping on Jason Day at this price tag and recent play, I think he’ll give you better ownership with a better course history.  He is a dream fit for this course from his accuracy to short game.  Fitzpatrick finished fifth in his last trip to the Genesis.  He ranks 11th in Total Driving, 12th in Around the Green, 24th in Driving Accuracy, 27th in Greens in Regulation, 31st in Off the Tee, 38th in Birdie Average, and 44th in Putting.  He’s the 10th ranked player in the world for a reason, a fantastic all around player.

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
8000
9800

Just when you thought he was done, he goes out and wins the Pebble Beach Pro-Am.  While he is still a risky play because of his age, Rose is playing good golf right now.  The 42-year-old hasn’t been back to Riviera in a while but had great success on this course.  Rose has seven straight cuts made at this tournament with four finishes inside the Top 16.  He is not a bomber by any means but he knows his way around this track better than most.  We may see a spike in his ownership because of his last start but the price tag is still reasonable.

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
7800
9500

We all know that Mr. Clark can hit the ball a mile and putt better than about 90 percent of the tour players out there.  The ball striking inconsistencies have been his Achilles heel but he finished last season making 10 of his last 11 cuts with two Top 10 finishes.  He has kept the momentum rolling into this season making his last seven cuts with four finishes of 16th or better including just last week in Arizona.  The former standout at the University of Oregon ranks 4th in Eagles, 6th in Driving Distance, 33rd in Around the Green, 45th in Tee to Green, 60th in Scoring Average, and 68th in Off the Tee.  While his putting hasn’t been as good this season, we know he has a good history on poa with an 8th place and 17th place finish at Riviera.  

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
7500
9200

The Canadian made the cut in his last 12 starts.  This will be his third start of the new year and continues to make smart decisions with his starts.  Hadwin ended a streak of seven straight cuts made at Riviera last year.  He has five finishes of 26th or better including a 6th in 2018.  The man is not a big hitter but I spoke about how these course managers can contend at this event.  He is very accurate, especially off the tee.  Hadwin ranks 16th in Approach, 17th in Putting, 33rd in Scoring Average, 37th in Birdie Average, 37th in Driving Accuracy, and 47th in Tee to Green.  This price tag is downright tasty this weekend. 

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
7300
9300

We saw Tommy tee it up for the first time in the United States since the CJ CUP back in October and he missed the cut.  He had finished Top 5 in three of his last four starts of the 2022 calendar year.  He finished last season ranked 5th in Around the Green, 8th in Scoring Average, 13th in Scrambling, 26th in Putting, and 37th in Tee to Green.  Tommy has made the cut in both of his trips to Riviera with one finish inside the Top 30.  The name of the game is accuracy and short game which plays right into his hands. 

Game Type: GPP
G
7200
8500

This kid is really finding his way and I’m going to ride the hot hand.  He finished last season inside the Top 75 in FedEx Cup standings.  He also ranked 32nd in Birdie Average, 39th in Greens in Regulation, and 49th in Off the Tee.  Another reason I like Moore this weekend is being ranked 22nd in Scrambling this season.  Moore has made three straight cuts and has finished 15th or better in each of those starts.  He also finished 21st in his debut at this event last year.  While he was flying under the radar for awhile there, his ownership I feel like is going to continue to grow.  

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
7000
8500

It was a bad season for Rodgers in 2021-2022 but he seems to have gotten things back on track.  He’s has three finishes of 16th or better in his last five starts including last weekend at the Waste Management.  The reason I like him this weekend is because he excels in two areas, driving and putting which has served him well at this tournament.  While he missed the cut in 2022, prior to that he had made the cut five straight times with two finishes inside the Top 15.  He ranks 13th in Eagles, 27th in Scoring Average, 31st in Driving Distance, 38th in Off the Tee, 42nd in Birdie Average, 44th in Around the Green, and 50th in Tee to Green.  The key will be if he can keep the ball on the fairway, his distance will give him an edge on the field.

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
6900
8500

Meronk is a regular on the DP World Tour.  He is 29-years-old from Poland with two international wins under his belt.  While he only has one cut made on the PGA Tour in his career, I feel like he is a good fit for this event.  He finished last season ranked 11th in Putting, 12th in Stroke Average, 24th in Driving Distance,and 40th in Greens in Regulation.  A big hitter with a very well rounded game.  He has a chance to compete against the best in the world and show off his skills.  Meronk finished 10th and 4th in two of his last three starts on the DP World Tour. 

Game Type: GPP
G
6700
8400

Ryder is becoming a regular in the playbook and well deserved.  He finished 8th at the Mayakoba, 4th in at the Farmers and 20th at the Waste Management.  Sam has made the cut in two of his three visits to Riviera with a Top 30 finish last year.  The stats continue to impress for his price tag ranking 10th in Putting, 13th in Approach, 27th in Birdie Average, 34th in Proximity and 44th in Scoring Average.     This is the type of guy I’ll use in any lineup this weekend as salary relief because I think he’s safe. 

Game Type: CASH & GPP