After spending last week in the cold and rainy Arizona Sonoran Desert, surrounded by both the McDowell Mountain range and the most raucous spectators on the PGA Tour, it was time to switch gears and head back to the City of Angels and the iconic Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California.
The Genesis Invitational (February 15-18) is the Second Signature Event (Pebble Beach) of the 2024 PGA TOUR West Coast swing and was hosted by Tiger Woods, who was joined by 22 of the top 24 golfers in the Official World Golf Ranking – the first occurrence for a 2024 PGA event.
The Genesis Invitational Signature Event, along with the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Memorial Tournament will feature 36-hole cuts to the top 50 and ties plus any players within ten shots of the lead. The other five signature events, two of which have already taken place, will continue to have no cuts and will continue to allocate 18% to the winner.
The Genesis Invitational also had the standard $20 million purse for a Signature Event in the 2024 PGA Tour season. However, the winner’s share this week increased to a whopping $4 million, an increase from the normal $3.6 million in prize money to winners in other signature events.
COURSE
The 18-hole Riviera Country Club in exclusive Pacific Palisades, CA is a private golf course that opened in 1927. Designed by George C. Thomas, Jr., the Riviera Country Club measures 7,366 yards from the championship tees and has a slope rating of 137 and a 75.6 USGA rating.
The course requires both accuracy and proper club selection to navigate through some less-than-ideal terrain. The entire course was designed by using the original landscaping, propagating and enhancing the surrounding indigenous vegetation, and keeping the Southern California weather conditions in mind.
One of the more interesting elements of the Riviera Course is the punishing Kiyuku grass. This spongy vegetation is not long but will trap your ball like Velcro. This will challenge any bump and run shots you want to play. Any wayward tee shots will be gobbled up in the rough and make it difficult to get back into regulation play.
ROUND 1
It didn’t take long Opening Day before Patrick Cantlay, a Southern California native and UCLA graduate, set the opening round pace at the Genesis Invitational with a 7 under par 64.He opened with three birdies in the first four holes and never really looked back.
“I got off to a great start,” Cantlay said after his round. “Our group had good momentum, Jordan (Spieth) and I were a bunch under on the front nine and, you know, a day where I putted really, really well, made every putt I should have and a couple longer ones. It was a good start.”
In his much-anticipated return to the PGA TOUR for the 2024 season, tournament host Tiger Woods (1st official PGA TOUR start since 2023 Masters) posted a 1-over 72. But the score wasn’t the only take away on the day for Woods. Heading up the 18th fairway, at even par for the day, Tiger left himself in the middle of the fairway with a mid iron shot to the green.
He grabbed his 8 iron and proceeded to hit a nasty looking “shank” into a group of eucalyptus trees lining the right side of the fairway. Leaving a tough recovery shot through the trees which resulted in a bogey. “Oh, definitely I shanked it.” He said, “My back was spasming the last couple holes and it was locking up.”
The leaderboard at the end of Round 1 had 1St place Patrick Cantlay -7. 2nd place Cameron Davis -6, Jason Day -6, Luke List -6. 5th place Tom Hoge -5, Jordan Spieth -5, Will Zalatoris -5.
ROUND 2
With Patrick Cantlay -13 just about running away with this year’s Genesis Invitational, you would think he would be the top story in today’s newspapers, but there were three major events that took place on Friday afternoon that seemed to put his amazing 5 shot lead on the Headline’s back burner.
On the 3rd hole, Tiger Woods (WD) asked his caddie for a pullover sweater from his golf bag. This was the first visible sign that something wasn’t quite right. Fortunately, this was only what appeared to be the result of Flu symptoms rather than any structural issues. This was his 3rd withdrawal from the six tournaments he’s played in since his return from the 2001 car crash.
Tiger wasn’t the only departure from the Invitational,
Jordan Spieth -3, who was playing with Cantlay and Tom Kim, had problems on the back nine with 3 bogeys and a double bogey, then signed an incorrect scorecard and got himself disqualified.
Will Zalatoris -6 had a hole-in-one on the 14th hole. His ball landed on the front left edge of the green and slowly rolled into the cup. Zalatoris received a Genesis GV80 while Joel Stock, his caddie, got an electric Genesis Electrified GV70, the prize for the first ace of the week at The Genesis Invitational
The leaderboard at the end of Round 2 had 1st place Patrick Cantlay -13 (64 65). 2nd place Jason Day -8 (65 69), Mackenzie Hughes -8 (69 65), Luke List -8 (65 69). 5th place Corey Conners -7 (70 65).
Notables who missed the +1 cut: Keegan Bradley +2, Wyndham Clark +2, Matt Kuchar +2, Justin Thomas +3, Matt Fitzpatrick +4
ROUND 3
Damp cool weather greeted the golfers and fans at the Riviera Country Club this morning. The early pairings found a windless morning but a heavy layer of dew on fairways and greens. Twosomes were the order of the day today as the field was cut to 51 players. 19 players did not make it to the 3rd round. 17 players were cut, 1 withdrew and 1 was Disqualified.
Patrick Cantlay -14 worked really hard today holding on to his lead throughout the 3rd round here at the Riviera Country Club. Considering he’s playing a course he practically grew up on, it still required a bunch of par saving putts and a few good bounces to sent him into the final round tomorrow with a 2 shot advantage. A bogey on the Par 5, 17th hole quickly reduced his comfortable 3 shot lead to just 2 when both Schauffele -12 and Zalatoris -12, each birdied the 16th and 17th holes.
“I played solid golf today,” Cantlay said. “I didn’t make any long putts or anything. Didn’t really give myself too many chances, but all in all a solid day and in good position for tomorrow.” He continued, “Being from Southern California, it’s one of the tournaments on my list that I’d like to win the most!” This was Cantlay’s first 54 hole outright lead on the PGA TOUR.
The Leaderboard at the end of Round 3 had 1st place Patrick Cantlay -14 (64 65 70) maintaining a two-shot lead over 2nd place Xander Schauffele -12 (70 66 65) and Will Zalatoris-12 (66 70 65). Alone in 4th place was Luke List -11 (65 69 68). 5th place found Jason Day -10 (65 69 69) and Harris English -10 (69 69 65) rounding out the top spots heading into Sunday’s Final Round.
ROUND 4
The early tee times today were greeted with a passing shower that did little to affect their chances to gain some ground on the leaders. The problem might be the forecasted changes in the weather later this afternoon that might bring rain and moderate winds to the area.
After the last twosome reached the 10th tee, the leaderboard looked a little different heading into the home stretch. 1st place was Luke List -16. 2nd Patrick Cantlay -14. 3rd place Hideki Matsuyama -13, Will Zalatoris -13 and Adam Hadwin -13.
Xander Schauffele-14 dropped his bunker short into the cup on the 11th par 5 for an eagle moving him into a tie for 1st. Cantlay -14 birdies the 11th to move into a 5-way tie for first place with Schauffele -14, Matsuyama -14, Zalatoris -14 and List -14 when he made a bogey on the 11th.
It seems like as soon as someone makes a move the rest of the pack follows with their own. First Zalatoris -15 birdies the 12th then Matsuyama -15 birdies the 15th to tie for 1St place. Then, out of nowhere, Matsuyama -17 preceded to birdie the 16th and 17th to extend his lead by 3 strokes for sole possession of 1st place. At that point it became clear that this just might be Matsuyama’s tournament to win.
It looks like it’s all over but the trophy presentation right now as Hideki Matsuyama -17 walks off the 18th green at the Genesis Invitational after posting a final round 62. He had birdies on his first 9 holes and 6 birdies on his last 9 holes. He is currently the leader in the clubhouse. He started the day tied for 8th place at -8 and 6 strokes behind the leader Patrick Cantlay at -14.
HIDECKI MATSUYAMA
The winner of the 2024 Genesis Invitational Signature Event is Hideki Matsuyama -17 (69 68 68 62). He pockets a check for $4 million dollars and the Genesis Trophy. He will also receive 700 FedEx Cup points for his four days of work. Hideki is the first player from Japan to win the Genesis Invitational. This is his 9th PGA TOUR win since joining the Tour in 2013. His current career earnings with today’s check are $48,531,991.
CBS Reporter Amanda Renner asked Hideki, “You began the day six strokes off the lead, and you leave with what Jim Nance calls ‘one of the best rounds of all time here at Riviera’ for your 9th PGA Tour victory. What went so right for you today?” Hideki responded through his interpreter, “I wasn’t striking the ball really well but my chipping and putting was, you know, working a lot this week, especially the second shot on the 15, was one of probably the best shot I had so that really helped.”
Amanda continued, “You have been battling some back issues for quite some time since the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2022. You said this week you have been totally pain free how pivotal of a moment is this week for you?” He replied, “It didn’t hurt. You know, ever since that injury, you know, I worried every week something bad might happen to my back but, you know, this week I had no issue I played without any worries, so that really helped too.”
There was a two-way tie for 2nd place today between Will Zalatoris -14 (66 70 65 69) and Luke List -14 (65 69 68 68). They will split the 2nd and 3rd place prize money, and both receive a check for $1.8 million and 500 FedEx Cup points each.
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