The Genesis Invitational is the next stop on the PGA TOUR calendar, as some of the best players in the world head to Riviera Golf Course.
This is a look at the best first-round leader bets to make for the event on DraftKings Sportsbook.
The Genesis Invitational: First Round Leader Picks
The Genesis Invitational is being played at Riviera Golf Course. Riviera Golf Course is a par-71 course, which ranges 7,384 yards. This is a signature event, so it has a limited field of 72 golfers. There will be a 36-hole cut, with the top 50 moving on to the weekend. Scottie Scheffler is the heavy favorite, but the field is loaded with big names like Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood and Chris Gotterup. The defending champion of the Genesis is Ludvig Aberg, but last year, this tournament was held at Torrey Pines due to the wildfires affecting Riviera. The 2024 champion was Hideki Matsuyama, who is also in the field this week.
Rory McIlroy FRL (+2150)
Rory McIlroy is the second-best player in the field, behind only Scottie Scheffler. Scheffler seems like an unstoppable force over the past year, but McIlroy is the top name when it comes to challenging him. Scheffler has also been a bit of a slow starter at times, storming up the leaderboard on the weekend like he did last week at Pebble Beach. McIlroy had a few holes last week at Pebble Beach where he had bad mental errors that led to big numbers, derailing his tournament. However, he still finished T-14 after shooting the best round of the day on Sunday, other than the aforementioned Scheffler.
Rory McIlroy has always been solid at The Genesis, with seven top-25 finishes in nine career starts. He also has two career top-five finishes at this event. McIlroy’s game fits this course well. To succeed, you need distance off the tee, paired with good iron play. McIlroy is a monster off the tee, and last week at Pebble Beach, his approach play was fantastic. McIlroy has only played in one event all season, but his iron play at Pebble Beach was good enough to have him leading the PGA TOUR in Strokes Gained: Approach to Green this season.
Max Homa FRL (+5300)
Rory McIlroy has been one of the best golfers in the world for the last two years, while my other pick has not. Max Homa has been in a massive slump over the past couple of seasons. After some great performances, including at the 2023 Ryder Cup, paired with a big personality, Homa looked like one of the rising stars on TOUR. However, his game has not been in a good place for a while now. The one place that could revive him is Riviera.
Homa got the second win of his career at this event in 2021, which really set him off on that strong multi-season run at that time. In the last five Genesis Invitationals held at Riviera, Homa has finished T-16, second, T-10, first and T-5. When Homa’s game was at its best, he was an ideal course fit for Riviera. While his recent form is a concern, he has come to this tournament and performed well despite poor prior results in the past. At this big of a number, it’s worth a shot on the player in the field with arguably the best course history at Riviera.
