The PGA Tour continues this week as it visits The Riviera Country Club for the 2022 The Genesis Invitational. Read on below to see my prediction for who will win the tournament, as well as my predictions for who will finish in the top 10, my dark horse, and my player to fade.
Winner: Talor Gooch- Winner of this season’s RSM Classic, Gooch has been relatively quiet since then, with 4 top 30’s in his 5 starts since. Gooch has also put together a solid track record at Riviera, with 3 top 20 showings in 3 career starts. Currently ranked 6th in Strokes Gained: Around-The-Green, Gooch’s short game is pristine right now. In a star-studded field, Gooch will find himself in the winner’s circle on Sunday.
Top 10: Dustin Johnson- Johnson might as well be called Mr. Riviera, as he has 1 win, 2 runner-ups, and 10 top 10’s in 14 career starts in this event. Johnson has had a slow start to his PGA Tour season, with a best finish of T-25 in 2 tournament starts. Nevertheless, he comes to one of his best venues on tour and I expect him to get things headed in the right direction with his first top 10 of the season this week.
Dark Horse: Patrick Rodgers- Rodgers started off the season strong, with a pair of top 6 finishes in his first 3 starts. He has struggled since then, with a best finish of T-40 in his last 6 starts. Even so, Rodgers and his game show signs of hope, as he is ranked inside the top 50 in both Strokes Gained: Around-The-Green and Putting, two areas of the game that are vital to having success at a course like Riviera. Rodgers has also played well here in the past, with 5 top 30 finishes in 6 career starts. A win is improbable, but another top 30 finish is certainly within reach.
Player to Fade: Chesson Hadley- Hadley has struggled this season, missing each of his last 7 cuts and missing 8 out of 11 cuts on the season. Hadley has also struggled at Riviera, missing the cut in both of his previous starts here. In a field as strong as this week’s is, Hadley is a lock to miss the cut.