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Horse Racing Genesis Invitational Tips: 46.00 Expert Pick For This Weekend’s Action
Genesis Invitational Tips: Thursday, February 15th
TPC Scottsdale is once again the host venue for the Genesis Invitational. Our betting expert Duncan Campbell has prepared his Genesis Invitational tips for the 2024 edition of this tournament.
- Selection: Wyndham Clark EW (1/4 1-5)
- Best Odds: 46.00
- Bookmaker: bet365
- Stakes: 1/10
Odds via bet365 as at 11.55 February 13th 2024. Odds may now differ.
In this article:
Genesis Invitational Overview
Thursday, 15th February, 12:00 (UK)
Formerly known as the Los Angeles Open, the Genesis Invitational is one of the longest running events on the PGA Tour. Having hosted sporadically since 1929, Riviera Country Club became the regular venue for this event in 1973.
George Thomas was the man originally responsible for laying out the course at Riviera but there have been several alterations since by Ben Brenshaw/Bill Coore and Tom Fazio. Normally an exclusive Country Club for the rich and famous, Riviera couldn’t be much further removed from the party atmosphere of TPC Scottsdale for last week’s Phoenix Open.
Just as it has in previous years, Riviera sets up as a par 71, with only three par five holes. At just over 7,300 yards, it has some of the larger greens on the PGA Tour and accurate approach play is required to find the right areas of the green. Five of the last eight winners of this event ranked inside the top six for SG: Approach and I’m factoring that into my Genesis Invitational tips this week.
One slight change to note from previous years is that this is a Signature event on the PGA Tour with only a 71 man field. The cut will be made after two rounds with the top 50 players, and those within ten shots of the leader, advancing to the weekend.
All four days of the tournament should be sunny with the wind not expected to blow more than ten miles per hour.
Genesis Invitational Tips
Scottie Scheffler once again heads up the betting but the return of Tiger Woods is the big talking point at this week’s Genesis Invitational.
Woods looked a shadow of his former self when competing at the Hero World Challenge in December and it is difficult to see him winning this week amongst a top class field. Injuries and accidents have taken their toll on the man who has won fifteen majors and odds of 176.00 provide little incentive to take a speculative punt.
Woods finished 45th in this event last year in a full field but only 71 players tee it up this time around. With the reduced field size, Tiger could well better that result and I’d be inclined to take the 2.00 on Woods finishing 43rd or better with bet365 if pushed to make a Woods related bet. A win may be off the cards but he remains capable of bettering 28 players in the field. The former world number one has also just launched his new clothing brand this week and he’ll be keenly aware that a poor performance won’t help sales.
Whilst Tiger’s best days may be behind him, Wyndham Clark is a player whose career is very much in the ascendancy. Three wins in his last seventeen starts, including a U.S. Open, illustrate just how good a player he has become. Each of the three wins were in high class fields and it shouldn’t go unnoticed that his U.S. Open triumph was just six miles down the road from Riviera at LA Country Club.
Clark certainly enjoys his visits to Los Angeles, having never finished worse than 33rd in this event from three starts and posting a top ten and top twenty finish. Solid course form is a huge plus given six of the last eight winners had at least two top 15 finishes in this event previously.
A win two weeks ago at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am was largely built on strong putting figures, a statistic that would normally be a concern but is in fact a positive given this week’s greens also feature poa annua grass. Players either love or hate poa annua and Clark certainly appears to enjoy putting on the greens at Riviera, having gained strokes putting on each of his three starts.
The world number six has also posted impressive approach stats in each of his last three tournaments and that combination of accurate approach play and strong putting should work well at Riviera. Wyndham Clark is my favourite Genesis Invitational tip at an industry best of 46.00 with bet365.
Each week I try to pick out an eye-catching price in the various special markets and I’m looking to make it four winners in a row at the Genesis Invitational with a bet on the ‘Winning Margin 3-Way’ market offered by bet365. Six of the last ten events played at Riviera have been won with a winning score between fourteen and nineteen under par and bet365 have priced that scenario at odds of 2.20. It looks like a reasonable price given the historical trends and the course should play a little softer given the amount of rain that has fallen in Los Angeles of late.
- Selection: Wyndham Clark EW (1/4 1-5)
- Best Odds: 46.00
- Bookmaker: bet365
- Stakes: 1/10
Odds via bet365 as at 11.55 February 13th 2024. Odds may now differ.
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