Fantasy Golf Picks, Odds, and Predictions – The Genesis Invitational

Fantasy Golf Picks, Odds, and Predictions for the 2024 Genesis Invitational  

Genesis Invitational Fantasy Preview

The closing stretch of holes at TPC Scottsdale are always good for some Sunday drama.

Often it’s a rush of blood in front of the raucous patrons on the sixteenth hole, or a loose drive at the drivable seventeenth. But for Nick Taylor, it was where he found his eye of the tiger.

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One of our sleeper picks for the week came alive at the business end, birdieing 15, 16 and 18 to force a playoff with surprise package Charley Hoffman. And even with the Super Bowl underway, few were diverting their eyes from the extra holes.

Taylor, as has been customary of him when in contention, was ‘nails’ under pressure, birdieing both playoff holes to secure a fourth PGA TOUR title. In a year in which the Presidents Cup returns to Canada, it’s no coincidence that a proud Canadian – a winner of his home open in 2023 – has upped his levels accordingly so far in 2024.

After a week of chaotic weather and even more madcap antics from some of the patrons at the venue, the players will no doubt be hoping for a rather more serene week in the Pacific Palisades for this week’s Genesis Invitational.

Last Event’s Fantasy Results

Winner, winner!  Nick Taylor was our guy in the SLEEPER PICK slot last week, and that selection paid off big time.

It’s nice to grab a winner this early in the season, especially a guy like Taylor who was priced super low and had some incredible odds behind him. 

In total, we missed only two cuts out of our total of twelve picks last week and had three solid Top 10 finishes. 

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2024 Genesis Invitational Field

A Signature Event with a limited field, just 70 players – pending late withdrawals – will tee it up at the Riviera Country Club.

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Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Pebble Beach winner Wyndham Clark will be amongst the headliners, while perennial Riviera performer – and former champion – Max Homa will be in town.

The likes of Viktor Hovland and Patrick Cantlay will be hoping for an uptick in form – they, along with Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa – decided to skip the madness of the Phoenix Open to prepare more heartily for this week’s assignment.

Nick Taylor and Hoffman have burst into the field at the final hour, while there’s a place too for American Express champion Nick Dunlap.

Oh, and some guy called Tiger Woods is playing, too!

This Week’s Course Preview

You might think that a golf course which first hosted a PGA TOUR event in 1929 would be somewhat redundant these days, what with all the improvements in length that the players have made in the years since.

But Riviera CC, George Thomas’ ancient design, still stands up to scrutiny nearly a century later – thanks in part to a Tom Fazio overhaul in 2008.

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This is a lovely slice of Californian real estate; a sprawling 7,322 yard Par 71 with just three Par 5s. There’s some challenging undulations, some twisty-turny fairways and the traditionally tough Kikuyu rough to overcome, as well as large Poa Annua greens which feature some unique cambers – hitting your approach shots to the right parts is key.

The meaty yardage is confirmed by the fact that we’ve got four Par 4s measuring 470 yards or longer this week, plus three Par 3s at 190 yards and longer. Those that are able to give it a rip have typically enjoyed an advantage here, especially as the fairways found count tends to be on the low side for even the most accurate of sorts.

Hogan’s Alley, named after Ben won this title twice and a US Invitational in the space of 18 months, is rarely for the faint-hearted, although the last two editions have played somewhat easier than the norm – even if only seven of the holes averaged under par in 2023.

Of those, the first hole – a 509-yard Par 5 – saw more eagles than bogeys last year, while drivable Par 4 tenth is another that dangles reward for those willing to take on the risk.

Weather Forecast for Los Angeles, CA

It’s been a rather gruesome few weeks of weather on the PGA TOUR, but the good news is that the early forecast is suggesting a better – for the most part – time in the Pacific Palisades.

A dry and sunny start to the week will segue into Thursday, with more sunshine and temperatures of around 62 degrees.

Indeed, that’s generally the theme of Friday and Saturday too, with similar temperatures and wind speeds in the region of 7-10mph.

Sunday might be the only anomaly. The early forecasts are suggesting rain for the area and a slight dip in temperature, so it could be a damp end to an otherwise excellent golf tournament.

LOS ANGELES WEATHER

Last Year’s Results from the Genesis Invitational

So good was Jon Rahm at last year’s Genesis Invitational that his final round was almost like a victory lap – the Spaniard royally waving to his onlooking admirers as the rest of the field tried manfully to catch up.

An opening round of 65 put him on the toes of early leaders Max Homa and Keith Mitchell, before 68 and 65 on Friday and Saturday furthered Rahm’s position.

He led by three shots heading into the final round, albeit with only Homa, Mitchell and Patrick Cantlay within five of his 54-hole score of -15.

Birdies on the opening hole, plus seven and eight, were huge in the context of tougher conditions, before a serene back nine – two birdies, two bogeys – was enough to keep Homa at bay, who failed to break par from the tenth hole onwards.

Where to Play Fantasy Golf for the Genesis Invitational this Week

This is a small-field event with no cut, remember, which isn’t ideal conditions for DFS success. We’re getting creative with our draft – you’ll find out more about that shortly, plugging our roster into these two particular contests.

• PGA $25k Dogleg: This single-entry game will set you back $33, but if you have faith in your roster then there’s payouts of note to be won – not least the $2,500 jackpot.

• PGA $40k Albatross: Single-entry contests are a smart way to go this week if you have faith in your main lineup, and this $12 entry game still pays a handy $4,000 to its winner.

This Week’s Fantasy Notes

As has been the case of late, it generally takes very good golfers to win the Genesis Invitational.

In the past five years, we’ve seen Rahm, Homa, Joaquin Niemann and Adam Scott – all outstanding drivers of a golf ball – win at Riviera, while we shouldn’t forget that the 2019 champion, J.B. Holmes, is a former Ryder Cupper with a top-five to his name at Augusta.

There does seem to be something of a link to The Masters when it comes to scoping potential Genesis winners. Rahm, Scott, Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson – all Genesis champions since 2017 – have tried the green jacket on for size, which is perhaps to do with the shot-shaping and long approaches that both venues require.

You can also take a look at Quail Hollow, the host of the Wells Fargo, for guidance – Homa and Holmes have won at both properties, and Torrey Pines, where the likes of Homa, Rahm and Bubba have entered the winners’ circle.

Other factors we’ve considered is the length required to thrive at Riviera – those that drive the ball 300+ yards, and who are comfy in the 150-200 yardage bucket on approach, are given preference, as are those with a strong track record on Poa Annua greens.

Our Top 5 (and Top 2 Sleeper) Fantasy Picks and Odds to Win the Genesis Invitational   

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Fantasy Golf Predictions – This Season 

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