What: Genesis Open
When: February 16th-19th
Where: Riviera Country Club
2016 Winner: Bubba Watson
Purse: $7MM (Winner: $1.26MM)
I will be mirroring the format for last year. It follows Yahoo's Fantasy Golf where you pick 2 A Golfers, 4 B Golfers and 2 C Golfers. As such I will pick one from A, 2 from B and 1 from C (as if they were your starters) along with one Dark Horse pick. It is my aim to do two things: first, select golfers who will do well. These golfers will not always win but it is my aim to keep the selections to golfers who make the cut and will be competitive down the stretch on Sunday. Second - select golfers who aren't always the obvious choice. If you are playing the Yahoo format or even the PGA fantasy league than you are severely limited on starts.
Course: Riviera Country Club. Located in Pacific Palisades, CA, this course was designed by George C Thomas in 1926. It is a par 71 at around 7,100 feet. It can tempt players with sharp turns as the wind comes in strong off the ocean. The terrain is hard and some well place bunkers can wreak havoc. Some short distance holes will tempt the golfers to go for it with the bunkers placed to trip them up.
A.
Adam Scott. This will be his inauguration into the 2017 PGA Tour. He played 3 tournaments in the fall of 2016 and finishes in the top 15 in all three. Currently sitting on a Official World Golf Ranking of 7, he is playing lights out right now with a recent 9th place finish at the SMB Singapore Open. He's no stranger to Riviera with a 10th place finish in 2013 and a 17th in 2012 (he has not played here the last 3 years).
B:
Matt Kuchar. 21st World Golf Ranking currently, Kuchar had 3 consecutive top ten finishes before missing the cut at AT&T Pebble beach. I think he will bounce back strong. He finished 8th here last year. His success at a tournament is all contingent on the first round, if he slips on Thursday, he rarely recovers. He almost never misses back to back cuts though.
Hideki Matsuyama. Fedex Cup Rank: 1st. World Golf Ranking: 5th. Last 4 tournaments: 1st, 33rd, 27th, 2nd. 2016 finish here: 11th. 2015 finish here: 4th. 2014 finish here: 23rd.
C.
Sergio Garcia. Well, I can't put in Jon Rahm so I'll have to find someone else. Sergio is 9th in the World Golf Ranking, had a 9th and 17thplace finish in his last two PGA Tour appearances, despite missing the cut here last year he was 4th in 2015, and 13th in 2013 (did not play in 2014).
Dark Horse.
Adam Hadwin. 12th in the FedEx cup rankings right now, Adam has made 8 straight PGA tour starts. On top of that he's finished in the top 30 in 6 of those 8 starts. 16th here last year and 22nd in 2015.