The DFS picks at last week’s WM Phoenix Open absolutely crushed it. Champion Nick Taylor came from the back of the pack with Kurt Kitayama to join favorites like Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas to come through in a big way for the bankroll.
From the Arizona desert to the haunted corridors of old Los Angeles, we stroll into Riviera Country Club for the Genesis Invitational. This signature event is a 70-person invitational with a limited 36-hole cut.
The par-71 layout stretches to a middling 7,300 yards, but “Riv” is hardly an easy stroll through Pacific Palisades. Sharply-doglegged fairways are well-guarded by spindly Kikuyu rough, strategic bunkering and gigantic trees. The Poa Annua greens are minuscule and normally lightning-fast. Riviera has it all. From eagles to double bogeys, to quirky and reverent vibes throughout.
PGA DFS: Genesis Invitational (2024)
The key metrics are… well, all of them. Successful DFS plays will be strong throughout the bag, including the need to avoid catastrophic meltdown holes. My weighted statistical model emphasized good form off the tee and close proximity on approach distances of over 150 yards. My most pivotal stat is undoubtedly Strokes Gained: Short game, which combines short wedge shots and recovery shots from off the green, along with putting. As for putting, Poa prowess is paramount. Finally, golfers who have either not seen Riviera before (or who have struggled here in the past) tend to fail miserably here. Those who have found success here are very likely to find it again.
Contest selection will matter a bit more this week. My player pool is currently at only 19 golfers of the 70, meaning I am sticking with high entry fee contests and those with single-entry or three-entry limits. Avoiding chalk is a challenge, but not impossible. Leveraging some picks against the field takes a back seat to playing the more optimal golfers. Let’s dive in.
High-Priced ($9,000 & Above)
- Chalk Plays: Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas
- Chalk Fades: Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa, Ludvig Åberg
- Leverage Plays: Max Homa, Viktor Hovland
Mid-Priced ($7,600 to $8,900)
- Chalk Plays: Cameron Young, Adam Scott, Will Zalatoris
- Chalk Fades: Sahith Theegala, Tony Finau, Wyndham Clark, Sam Burns
- Leverage Plays: Tommy Fleetwood, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Nicolai Hojgaard
Value-Priced ($7,500 & Below)
- Chalk Plays: Beau Hossler, Kurt Kitayama, Luke List
- Chalk Fades: Denny McCarthy, Hideki Matsuyama, Tom Hoge
- Leverage Plays: Brendan Todd, Nick Taylor, Taylor Montgomery, Gary Woodland