US PGA Tour golf tips: Patrick Cantlay can silence big guns at the Genesis Invitational
- Brendan Skilling
- 14 February 2023
As Tiger Woods makes a welcome return to the USPGA tour, Tipstrr golf expert Brendan Skilling looks beyond the usual suspects to pick out his best bets to win this week's Genesis Invitational.
The second elevated event in a row on the USPGA Tour, following on from Scottie Scheffler's enthralling win in last week's Waste Management Phoenix Open, will see yet another high-class field assembled for the Tiger Woods-hosted Genesis Invitational at the Riviera Country Club.
The star-studded tournament was boosted even more by the news that the host himself will make a rare outing here, and all eyes will undoubtedly be on the 14-time major winner in Tiger's first tournament start for over six months.
Riviera is undeniably one of the crown jewels of American golf, situated a mere drive and wedge away from Sunset Boulevard in the very heart of Los Angeles.
Designed by George Thomas in the classical 'Golden Age' style of course architecture, it's an exacting test for any golfer, and its undulating fairways and greens are consistently ranked among the toughest to hit on tour.
There are no water hazards here but the course is well protected by awkwardly placed bunkers and the Poa Annua surfaced greens, which are trickier to putt on than other surfaces, especially as the week progresses and the course gets firmer and faster.
More putts under 10 feet are missed at the Riviera than at any other venue on the tour, so a good all-round game is required to triumph round here, with a strong short game being the key metric.
Once again, the market is dominated by Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy, while the new world number one Scottie Scheffler joins them at the top of the betting.
This top-heavy market has pushed out the prices of some very capable operators, most notably Patrick Cantlay, who appears to represent excellent value at 25/1.
He's one of the top putters on tour, ranks Riviera as one of his favourite courses and can bounce back in style from his missed cut last week.
Collin Morikawa seems like an obvious course fit, but signs that he's not quite shaken off the last-round collapse at the Sentry Tournament of Champions means it's not difficult to overlook him, while Max Homa, a former winner round here is perhaps just a bit too short in price to represent true value.
Instead,
Matt Fitzpatrick is someone who ticks a lot of the boxes required round here, given his ball striking and putting ability. The US Open champion will be well prepared for a similar tough test here, and he certainly fits the key metrics mentioned above, so he looks a decent shout at around the 33/1 mark.
Finally, Patrick Rodgers slipped under the radar to finish 15th last week in high-class company and has a solid record on these classical style courses.
He is a tasty 150/1 outsider who could easily outplay those huge odds and threaten the places, especially with any bookmaker offering enhanced each-way terms.
