Golf Pick: Tiger Woods – to make the cut (+150) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
The Big Cat Tiger Woods is back on the prowl this week at the Genesis Invitational. On Friday, the fifteen-time major champion tweeted: “I’m ready to play an actual PGA Tour event next week.”
Expectations will be rightly low for the forty-seven-year-old who returns to competitive action seven months after his last event, the Open Championship. You never really do know with the GOAT but perhaps, he will be happy with some pain-free competitive golf at this juncture in his career. If you want a pick to bet on Tiger Woods take the BetOnline price of +150 for the great man to make the cut.
Now that that is out of the way, let’s preview the 2023 Genesis Invitational and find the best bets available.
And remember, any golf fans interested in betting our golf picks can do so at the top US betting sites.
The Genesis Invitational
February 16-19, 2023 – Riviera Country Club
Par 71, 7322 yards
The Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles is one of the most renowned golf championship courses in the world. The track has held four major championships as well as hosted the Los Angeles Open 59 times and on every occasion since 1999.
The course sets one of the most exacting tests of the game on the PGA Tour as it winds between the trees with its undulating kikuyu grass fairways to the poa annua greens. Like last week in Phoenix, this week’s tournament in California is one of the new elevated PGA Tour events, guaranteeing another stellar field.
Tony Finau
I believe Tony Finau has unfinished business this week at Riviera Country Club having been an agonizing runner-up in 2021 after a strong final round of 64 saw him pipped to the title by Max Homa.
Their dramatic head-to-head duel went into the extra holes of a sudden death playoff after Homa missed a 3-foot putt on the final hole of regulation. On the first playoff hole, Homa’s tee shot finished behind a tree but he somehow managed to escape and extend the playoff, and he beat Finau in on the next hole.
There was much conjecture at the time that Finau would never fulfill his huge talent by winning titles as for all his consistency, closing out titles appeared a weakness for the thirty-three-year-old from Utah. That has all changed since for Finau, who went on to win the Northern Trust later in 2021 followed by three PGA Tour wins in 2022 at the 3M, Rocket Mortgage, and Houston Open.
Often, professional golf is feast or famine but to put that insecurity around winning titles to the back of his mind can only help this week at a track he was also runner-up in 2019 for good measure, illustrating his natural affinity for golf at the Riviera.
After four solid weeks to open 2023, Tony Finau who struck the ball beautifully in Phoenix must be close to winning if a few more putts drop this week on the poa annua greens that he’s perfectly suited to. Currently, I like the price of +1800 for Tony Finau winning the 2023 Genesis Invitational this week.
Golf Pick: Tony Finau – win (+1800) at BetOnline
James Hahn
Seeing James Hahn have his first decent outing of 2023 in Phoenix last week was an encouragement indeed for us to follow the forty-one-year-old Californian this week. Hahn is a real event and course specialist at Riviera having had five top 30 finishes here in the last nine events, two of which were top 20, and for good measure, he won the 2015 renewal.
With James Hahn’s advancing years, he’s a cast iron solid props pick for the top 20 market at BetOnline’s attractive price of +600. I am surprised to see there is some +30000 about a second Genesis title around James Hahn so take some to micro stakes also.
Golf Pick: James Hahn – top 20 (+600) at BetOnline
Golf Pick: James Hahn – win (+30000) at BetOnline
Patrick Rodgers
Sometimes, betting is feast or famine and this week’s Genesis Invitational offers another props bet opportunity in Patrick Rodgers.
Like Hahn, Rodgers sprung into life at last week’s Phoenix Open with his first cut made of 2023, and a fast-finishing six-under-par 65 to take 14th. That’s perfect timing for the thirty-year-old from Indiana who has historically played well at Riviera Country Club with five top-30 finishes in his seven showings at the track.
In the past, this week in California would kick-start Rodger’s year as he is a perennial slow starter but this year, he has stolen a march with last week’s effort. Like Hahn, Rodgers has a solid top 20 look at +400 and if he is ever to break his maiden on the PGA Tour could it be here?
Back in 2000, after eleven years of grinding and 266-starts another journeyman PGA Tour pro, Kirk Triplett finally won his first PGA Tour title having had a similar plethora of form to Rodgers at the Riviera Country Club previously.
Take the hint, have strong props bet on Patrick Rodgers to land a top 20 finish at the price of +400 plus take the long shot price of +12500 to more modest stakes to follow Kirk Triplett who won his maiden PGA Tour title here in 2000.
Golf Pick: Patrick Rodgers – top 20 (+400) at BetOnline
Golf Pick: Patrick Rodgers – win (+12500) at BetOnline
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
