The Riviera Country Club is one of the best stops on the PGA Tour for a multitude of reasons. This is a golf course and an event that always produce a great leaderboard and feature a ton of course history.
With the event being elevated to a Signature Event this year, all of the best golfers will be playing, and there should be another great leaderboard. Course history is very important at Riviera as there is a lot of nuance around this track. We usually see the same names have success here, and Adam Scott is a great example of that!
Let's get to my 2024 Genesis Invitational One and Done (OAD) picks.
Viktor Hovland +1400
Using Viktor Hovland this week is probably my favorite one and done selection of the season. No one will use him here as everyone will be saving Hovland for a major, but why wouldn't you want him at Riviera?
Yes, Hovland is in a bit of a rut and just withdrew from an event. So, why would we play him?
Hovland is coming off three straight poor iron performances, which is truly a concern. Approach play is the strength of Hovland's game, and he needs them to be clicking if he wants to win.
He withdrew from the WM Phoenix Open last Monday to meet with his coach and dial back in for this week. You'd be surprised how quickly golfers can find their game after playing poorly. We saw this as recently as Wyndham Clark winning at Pebble Beach in the most recent Signature Event after meeting with his coach to fix a few things.
Hovland has two top-five finishes in three trips here, so he knows he has the game to contend on this course. He is long and straight off the tee, which is really important. All of the winners at this event are above average in Driving Distance, and Hovland surely fits this mold with his patented tight-cut lasers with the driver.
Again, no one will go with Hovland this week, but he provides real winning upside at low ownership.
Adam Scott +3300
In 15 trips to Riviera, Adam Scott has only missed one cut. Usually, this is where he starts his PGA Tour season, but he already has a few starts under his belt in 2024. Scott is on a great run of iron play as the last time he lost strokes to the field on approach was in September.
I don't think Scott will win this event, but the field is condensed, there is an elevated purse, and where else do you want to save him for? He will most likely be a popular option, but he should be a safe one.
If you are front running, Scott is a great option. If you need to catch up some ground, go elsewhere.
Cam Davis +10000
Cam Davis is a great low-owned longshot for this week's Genesis Invitational. Davis has as much talent as anyone on the Tour but struggles to put his complete game together on a regular basis. I am extremely bullish on Davis this year and believe he will win in an extremely strong field when no one is expecting it.
This is a great spot to back him as he has a win on a similar course in his career. I am not saying that Riviera and Detroit Golf Club are the same, but the way golfers score at each is similar. They are both tree-lined courses that favor longer hitters bombing it out there and making birdies.
The Australian has recently found his ball-striking, which is huge for him as he has been in a bit of a rut to start 2024. Not many people will be on Davis this week, which is why he's a great pick if you want to get different in your pools.
