Draws and Fades: The Genesis Invitational

Any other year, the opening of this space would focus only on the fact that the second phase of the Korn Ferry Tour graduate reshuffle category concludes at The Genesis Invitational this week. So, when the field for The Honda Classic is released on Friday afternoon or evening (depending on where you are), and because the Honda is an open, there will be turnover whenever it updates after the second reorder is official. I’ll tweet it as usual when it happens.

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Instead commanding the stage, this week we are pleased to introduce the launch of PGA TOUR Pick ‘Em Live, and it’s a big, big deal.

PGA TOUR Pick ‘Em Live is a free weekly game playable on desktop and mobile devices. You collect points in the form of virtual coins based on live odds at PointsBet. First place pays $2,500 every week. The runner-up pockets $1,000, and so on.

Total points for the entirety of a tournament will determine the leaderboard and prizing. Everyone resets to zero for every event, so you can play as little or as often as you want.

For every tournament, users can select one golfer to win, one golfer to finish inside the top 10 and one to post a top 20. You can change these picks at any time during tournaments when odds are unlocked.

Users also can make picks for up to three props in every round. These will be assigned from options including first-round leader (commonly referred to as FRL), 3-balls (from which you want the best score), make the cut, 2-balls (primarily after cuts fall) and others. Progressive multipliers of 25, 50, 75 and 100 in respective rounds ensure that there’s action throughout.

Other than it being free to win real cash, which is just as good as money – thank you, Yogi Berra – the best part is that there’s no penalty to sit out any prop. Just as you can’t lose money, you also can’t lose points.

In addition to special preview material for the launch, Mike Glasscott and I will be joining forces for “Pick ‘Em Preview.” It will be our weekly written contribution reviewing all three weeklong props (winner, top 10, top 20) and our selections of the three first-round props. So, should you want or need a helping hand, we’ll be out front guiding you for every tournament in PGA TOUR Pick ‘Em Live. You also can follow our progress as Influencers on the leaderboard page.

No doubt you’ll have many questions, so take the time to read through How to Play, FAQs and Game Rules on your profile page at the very least. General Terms and Privacy Policy also are there for you to review.

PGA TOUR Pick ‘Em Live is not digitally connected to PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, so you will need to register separately for it.

I’m in my 13th year in this chair, so I’ve seen all the games offered by the PGA TOUR during my tenure. I’ve also tested PGA TOUR Pick ‘Em Live during competition, and I gotta say that it’s a blast. Let’s have some fun!

POWER RANKINGS WILD CARD

Adam Scott (+140 for a Top 20) … With only 15 given attention in the Power Rankings proper, and in a field like this one, it’d be professionally irresponsible not to exploit this space for a No. 16. His most recent of 14 (official) PGA TOUR titles occurred here just two years ago and he’s missed only one cut in 13 trips. Opened 2022 with a pair of top 10s on the DP WORLD Tour before debuting at TPC Scottsdale with a so-so T38. He’s an ideal short-lister for the Make-the-Cut prop in R1 of PGA TOUR Pick ‘Em Live.

DRAWS

Scottie Scheffler (+125 for a Top 20) … But it’s mild fresh off the breakthrough victory and in this field. Because he’s qualifying for all the toughest competitions without winning, I’ve written and have been saying that it’d make more sense for him to break through in a field in which his star had greater value in the Strokes Gained: Magnitude metric, but the gathering at TPC Scottsdale is the strongest of any large-field event on the planet in 2022, so it’s more impressive in that context. Also baked into the approach is that because it took him a minute to convert, there may be a selfish default to extend the celebration. Why not, right?

Jordan Spieth (+150 for a Top 20) … It’s impossible for him to fly under the radar, but no one came at me for his omission in the Power Rankings. That usually tells me that the street is cool. But it shouldn’t be. Immediately prior to his T60 at TPC Scottsdale, he was the runner-up at Pebble Beach where he’s had so much success. He’s also 7-for-9 at Riviera with two top 10s and another three top 25s. He finished T15 when he was resurging last year.

Sam Burns (+140 for a Top 20) … His bid for a wire-to-wire victory here last year came up short, but the solo third lifted him into the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time. Of course, he hasn’t looked back and currently sits 16th. Missed cuts in his most recent two starts upon arrival shadow the fact that he got off to fast starts in both. Keep the faith and invest in the upswing. Those putting too much stock in recency bias will not get in your way.

Paul Casey
Sergio Garcia
Talor Gooch
Marc Leishman
Kevin Na
Joaquin Niemann
Alex Noren
Thomas Pieters
Cameron Tringale

Odds sourced on Tuesday, February 15 at 6 p.m. ET. For live odds visit betmgm.

FADES

Sahith Theegala … It’s been five years now since he made his PGA TOUR debut as an amateur at Riviera and finished T49. Now poised for a long career on the circuit, he’s fresh off the thrills and spills of a T3 at the WM Phoenix Open. While I love that he’s turning the page immediately to focus on his next target, this also is his sixth consecutive week on the road, and, of course, last week’s experience was draining. A cut made at Riviera would say volumes of his makeup, which isn’t in question, but it’s probably the most strenuous physical test against the strongest field of his life.

Brooks Koepka … This is a contrarian no-play based on his affinity for the sights, sounds and sensations of TPC Scottsdale where he placed T3. He cashed in the last two editions of the Genesis, but neither went for a top 35.

Tony Finau … He’s been a groomsman twice over in the last four year at Riviera, but until he escapes from this extended funk, he’s giving us no reason to touch him.

Sungjae Im … I know this seems harsh, but he’s 0-for-2 at Riviera. With the buffet of options available to us, we don’t need to reach into that hope despite his flurry of leaderboard appearances of late.

Cameron Champ
Corey Conners
Robert MacIntyre
Peter Malnati
Troy Merritt
Seamus Power
Patrick Reed
Aaron Wise

RETURNING TO COMPETITION

None.

NOTABLE WDs

Brian Harman … Made some noise early in 2022 with four cuts made in as many starts. The T3 at PGA WEST highlighted the set, and he finished T14 at TPC Scottsdale. This will be just his second DNP at Riviera since first qualifying in 2013, but he didn’t crack the top 40 in any of his last six, so we won’t be baited into momentum over lackluster course history.

Hayden Buckley … It’s rare and usually of concern when a rookie sits out any stop on the West Coast Swing (when eligible on his number), and now an elevated invitational at that at Riviera. However, he’s also earned it ahead of the Florida Swing. He hasn’t rested since resuming his season at Waialae. Positioned comfortably inside the top five of the KFT graduate reshuffle thanks to a strong fall, he’s in complete control of his schedule. It’s the first checkpoint for everyone in his category, and some never reach it.

Brice Garnett … After withdrawing early from the Sony Open in Hawaii, he played in four straight and cashed twice, neither for a top 50. We’re not unfamiliar with extended lulls for the 38-year-old, so any time a chip-and-a-chair investment gives us something, we appreciate it. He had a burst after the PGA TOUR headed east at this time last year, and he’s a former winner at Corales, which is in a month, so resting up for it makes sense, especially when you also consider that he’s 0-for-2 at Riviera.

Tyler McCumber … Played in each of the last four weeks and missed every cut. Still 124th in the FedExCup on the shoulders of a T4 at Sea Island.

RECAP – WM PHOENIX OPEN

POWER RANKINGS
Power Ranking Golfer Result
1 Jon Rahm T10
2 Justin Thomas T8
3 Hideki Matsuyama T8
4 Viktor Hovland MC
5 Jordan Spieth T60
6 Xander Schauffele T3
7 Webb Simpson DNP
8 Patrick Cantlay P2
9 Brooks Koepka T3
10 Scottie Scheffler Win
11 Bubba Watson T14
12 Sam Burns MC
13 Andrew Putnam MC
14 Louis Oosthuizen T14
15 Matt Fitzpatrick T10
Wild Card Daniel Berger MC

SLEEPERS
Golfer (Prop) Result
Kevin Chappell (top 20) T43
Branden Grace (top 20) T49
Brian Harman (top 20) T14
Preston Summerhays (top 20) MC
Sahith Theegala (top 20) T3

GOLFBET
Bet Result
Matt Fitzpatrick, Xander Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler, Adam Scott and Billy Horschel all to make the cut (+290)
Fitzpatrick = T10
Schauffele = T3
Scheffler = Win
Scott = T38
Horschel = T6

BIRTHDAYS AMONG ACTIVE MEMBERS OF THE PGA TOUR
February 15 … Kevin Kisner (38)
February 16 … none
February 17 … Greyson Sigg (27); Brandon Wu (25)
February 18 … noneFebruary 19 … none
February 20 … none
February 21 … Erik van Rooyen (32); Cam Davis (27)