Geoff Ulrich gets you set for the Genesis Invitational with winning trends and his picks for your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups.
The Cheat Sheet provides DraftKings players with course info, player history, and the most noteworthy trends of the week to help them with their roster selections.
Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR $300K Drive the Green [$30K to 1st]
The Field
This week is another PGA Signature Event that will see an elite field of around 72 golfers tee it up at Riviera and compete for a $20M prize purse ($4M to the winner). As of writing, World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa, Ludvig Åberg, and 2024 champion at Riviera, Hideki Matsuyama, are expected to headline the field. Max Homa, the 2021 champion and Southern California native, is in the field on a sponsor exemption and always draws significant attention at Riviera. Several players coming off strong showings during the West Coast swing — including WM Phoenix Open winner Chris Gotterup, Jake Knapp (three straight top 10s), and Pebble Beach champion Collin Morikawa — should be riding high on confidence into this week.
Other notable players in the field include Jordan Spieth, Keegan Bradley, Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry, Viktor Hovland, Patrick Cantlay, and Tony Finau (who received a sponsor exemption). The Aon Swing 5 qualifiers — Pierceson Coody, Ryo Hisatsune, Jake Knapp, Matt McCarty, and Patrick Rodgers — secured their spots through impressive recent performances, further enriching an already strong field.
As mentioned above, the field this week is limited to around 70 players, so there will be no Friday cut, and all entrants will receive four rounds of play, barring injury or disqualification.
The Course
Riviera CC, Pacific Palisades, Calif.
Par 71, 7,300-7,350 yards
Riviera is one of the oldest courses on the PGA TOUR and has hosted this event every season since 1999. Riviera’s age means that it has plenty of mature trees that line the fairway, but it also features many doglegs and a few quirky hole designs — like a sand trap in the middle of the green on the par 3 sixth and an impossibly small green on the driveable par 4 10th. The course was redesigned by Tom Fazio in 2008 and has played longer and tended to favor the best tee-to-green players in the world ever since.
The strains of grass at Riviera are also unique, as the fairways and rough are Kikuyu, which tends to be quite difficult to play out of when left to grow. Wet weather can also cause the course to play longer than its yardage and with the wet weather that just came through it could be gnarly rough on tap for this year’s version. The Poa greens at Riviera are also some of the most difficult on the PGA TOUR, and like Torrey Pines, we see a very high rate of 3-putts and a low rate of long birdie putts made at this event every season.
Players with distance and the strength to get the ball up and out of the thick grass quickly have an advantage. Green in regulation percentages at Riviera tend to run 5-10% lower than the PGA TOUR average. 2017 winner Dustin Johnson led the field in greens in regulation by a wide margin that season, and in 2020 winner Adam Scott hit 72% GIR and finished second in GIR for the week, as did 2023 winner Jon Rahm (71% GIR in 2023). 2024 winner Hideki Matsuyama was T5 in GIR but also gained 5.8 strokes around the greens.
Riviera is also a true par 71 with three par 5s, but only one (the short first hole) is a real birdie opportunity, as the other two traditionally play quite tough. The par 4s offer no relief either, as eight of the 11 play at over 430 yards or more in length, and many have tricky tee shots or doglegs built in that challenge a player’s length and accuracy.
This is a true championship venue with few birdie holes. Winners rarely venture past 12-under par, and with slightly cooler temperatures could play longer this season than usual. In terms of course comparables, Copperhead (host of the Valspar) is another longer par 71 and good comparable, as is Augusta National (a long winding par 72), where several recent winners of this event have also found success (Matsuyama, Adam Scott, Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, and 2023 Masters winner Jon Rahm).
Key Stats: Proximity 150-175, 175-200, >200 yards / Strokes Gained: Ball Striking (APP + OTT) / Three-Putt percentage.
2026 outlook: The one constant for this week will be cooler weather, with temperatures topping out at 60°F most days and the first day having highs in the 55°F range. Both of the first two starting days have wind creeping up in the afternoon, with Friday looking like the windier day. However, rain is in the forecast for Thursday afternoon, which could make it the wave to avoid. Likely, we’ll also see rain on the weekend, along with unseasonably cool temperatures, which is going to make this course play longer than it already does. Overall, I do expect supreme ball strikers with higher ball flights to navigate this longer course in cool weather to have an advantage; however also expect around the greens to be important, much like it was in 2024 when Matsuyama won.
Last 5 Winners
2024 – Hideki Matsuyama -17 (over Will Zalatoris -14)
2023 – Jon Rahm -17 (over Max Homa -15)
2022 – Joaquin Niemann -19 (over Collin Morikawa and Cameron Young -17)
2021 – Max Homa -12 (over Tony Finau playoff)
2020 – Adam Scott -11 (over three players at -9)
Winning Trends
12 of the last 14 winners here had played at Pebble Beach or Phoenix as their final start before winning at Riviera. Of those, nine had played Pebble as their last start, and three had played Phoenix as their last start.
Only two of the last 13 winners had missed the cut in their final start before winning at Riviera (Holmes in 2019, Watson in 2016).
7 of the last 11 winners of this event had posted a finish of T15 or better in one of their previous two starts (before winning at Riviera)
9 of the last 11 winners had recorded a top 15 finish at Riviera in a previous season before their win. (Hahn ‘15 and Niemann ‘22 were the exceptions, and both had made the cut at Riviera at least once in a previous season)
Winners Stats and Course Detail
2024 Winner: Hideki Matsuyama at 17-under par
2024 lead-in form (T71-T22-T13-T30-T58)
SG: OTT—+1.1
SG: APP—+2.0
SG: Totals—+13.2
SG: ATG—+5.8
SG: PUTT—+4.2
Driving Distance (DD) is beneficial, but it isn’t the be-all, end-all this week. Bill Haas ranked 66th in DD here in 2012 and won, James Hahn was 30th for the week in DD in 2015 when he won, and J.B. Holmes was 41st in 2019. Matsuyama was T23 in 2024 and did gain 1.1 strokes OTT, so he was consistent with the driver.
Niemann was solid off the tee in 2022 but did most of his damage with approaches and had a career week around the greens — Rahm gained 11.9 strokes on approach and was barely positive off the tee.
Seven of the past eight winners have ranked inside the top five in SG: Tee to Green stats for the week of their win at Riviera.
Greens here are typically very difficult to hit as the field average tends to hover around 5-10% lower than the PGA TOUR average. Strong proximity stats from 150 yards to 200 yards will be of vital importance.
With players missing lots of greens, a sharp around-the-green game is also necessary — Niemann’s career week around the greens helped him hold off two very solid players in the year of his win.
Finding Values on DraftKings Sportsbook
Odds to win are one factor to think about when picking players (but not the only thing, so be careful putting too much weight on them). This section is going to detail a few of the players who have the best fantasy value compared to their DraftKings Sportsbook odds of winning this week.
Comparable:
Comparable:
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook are subject to change.
HORSES FOR COURSES
(These players have had a lot of success at this event over their careers.)
1. Max Homa ($9,800; best finishes: win-2021, T10-2022): Homa won this event in 2021 and has become somewhat of a West Coast specialist over the past three seasons, grabbing wins at Silverado, Torrey Pines, and Riviera over that span. He’s made the cut at Riviera in multiple consecutive years and has consistently finished inside the top 10 at this venue. His 2026 form has been poor but this is the one course where Homa always seems to elevate. At Riviera, the course history discount could make him a sneaky GPP pivot.
2. Adam Scott ($8,200; best finishes: win-2020, win-2005—36-hole event): Scott has a long record of playing well at Riviera and is now a two-time winner of the event. The Aussie finished T2 back in 2016 to Bubba Watson, was T8 here in 2019, and, of course, broke through for a win at Riviera in 2020 as well.
3. Tony Finau ($8,900; best finishes: 2nd-2021, T2-2018): Finau was an unlucky playoff loser at this event in 2021. It was a tough loss for Finau, who led the field in strokes gained tee to green stats for the week but was outputted by Max Homa down the stretch. Finau has posted multiple runner-up finishes at Riviera, which sets up perfectly for this longer technical test.
4. Collin Morikawa ($9,500; best finishes: T6-2023, T2-2022): Morikawa has often saved his best golf for the West Coast. He won his first major at TPC Harding Park and has played well at Riviera most of his career, as he’s 4/4 in made cuts (pre-elevated event) with two top 6 finishes. He’s fourth in strokes gained total stats for this event (over the past five seasons) despite only playing in four of the past five years.
5. Hideki Matsuyama ($9,500; best finishes: Win-2025): The defending champion has proved that his game translates perfectly to Riviera. Matsuyama has been excellent on the 2026 West Coast swing with a T11 at the Farmers, solo 2nd at the Phoenix Open (losing in a playoff to Gotterup), and a T8 at Pebble Beach. His ball-striking at its peak is among the best in the world, and his familiarity with Poa greenside structures gives him an edge. He gained over 5.0 strokes ATG here in 2024.
DRAFTKINGS DFS STRATEGY
Big Field Punt plays:
Ryan Fox ($6,500): See below.
Patrick Rodgers ($6,500): Rodgers earned his way into this field via the Aon Swing 5 and has been quietly solid, posting a T27 at the Farmers (-9), highlighted by a closing 66. He’s a California native with Poa green experience and enough ball-striking ability to sneak into a top-20 finish at a bargain price. Perfect lineup filler in GPPs.
Core Plays:
Matt Fitzpatrick ($8,400): Back-to-back quality finishes — 9th at Phoenix (-13) and T14 at Pebble (-17). He’s 7th in SG: Tee to Green stats on the season and has a prior top 10 at this course.
Maverick McNealy ($8,100): Three straight top-30 finishes, including a 10th at the Farmers (-13) and T13 at Phoenix (-11). The Stanford product and Northern California native grew up on Poa greens and he’s flashed some great play this year already, shooting 63 in Round 3 last week. Solid price at just 8.1k.
Contrarian Click:
Shane Lowry ($7,800): The Irishman quietly posted a T8 at Pebble Beach (-18) last week, and a T3 in Dubai earlier, showing his game is in excellent shape heading into Riviera. His lack of course history means that his ownership may be minimal in a field loaded with bigger American names, but his scrambling ability and experience grinding on difficult courses make him a perfect low-owned GPP pivot.
TOP RECENT FORM
1. Scottie Scheffler ($14,300, Recent finishes: T3 Phoenix, T4 Pebble Beach): Scheffler continues to be the most consistent player on the planet. He posted a T3 at -15 in Phoenix and followed it up with a T4 at -20 at Pebble Beach, where he fired a closing 63 with three eagles. He’s been elite tee to green in virtually every start and enters Riviera in peak form. The price is high but his production is already at historic levels.
2. Hideki Matsuyama ($9,500, Recent finishes: T11 Farmers, 2nd Phoenix, T8 Pebble Beach): Matsuyama has been outstanding on the West Coast swing. He was solo second at -16 in Phoenix (losing in a playoff to Gotterup), posted a T11 at the Farmers, and followed that with a T8 at Pebble Beach. The defending Genesis champion has been striking the ball beautifully and enters Riviera with supreme confidence at a course where he won in 2024.
3. Collin Morikawa ($9,400, Recent finishes: T54 Phoenix, Win Pebble Beach): Ignore the T54 in Phoenix — Morikawa just won at Pebble Beach at -22, dominating the field with his elite iron play on Saturday and Sunday. The Southern California native has historically saved his best golf for the West Coast and now arrives at Riviera — where he has two top-6 finishes — riding a wave of confidence. His approach play was world-class at Pebble, and is his putter continues to cooperate, he’ll again be a force this week as well.
4. Jake Knapp ($8,600, Recent finishes: T5 Farmers, 8th Phoenix, T8 Pebble Beach): Knapp has been quietly excellent throughout the entire West Coast swing. He’s posted three consecutive top-10 finishes — T5 at Torrey Pines, solo 8th at -14 in Phoenix, and T8 at Pebble Beach. The big-hitting Californian has the length and ball-striking to handle Riviera’s demanding par 4s, and his consistency over the past three weeks suggests his game is in a great place.
5. Si Woo Kim ($9,200, Recent finishes: T2 Farmers, T3 Phoenix, T45 Pebble Beach): Kim was on fire through his first two West Coast starts — T2 at the Farmers at -16 and T3 at the Phoenix Open at -15 — before fading to T45 at Pebble Beach. When Kim’s iron play is clicking, he’s capable of beating anyone in the field. His ball-striking numbers at the Farmers and Phoenix were elite, and if that form returns this week at Riviera, he could offer tremendous value at $7,600.
MY PICK: Si Woo Kim ($9,200)
Kim sets up as one of my favorite plays in the 9k range this week. The South Korean was one of the best players in the world over the first two stops of the West Coast swing, posting a T2 at the Farmers Insurance Open (-16) and a T3 at the WM Phoenix Open (-15) before cooling off with a T45 at Pebble Beach (-10). Through five events in 2026, he’s now ranked first in tee to green stats on the PGA, and that includes a bit of regression last week at Pebble.
Kim’s game is an excellent fit for Riviera Country Club. His iron play — which was the driving force behind his outstanding finishes at Torrey Pines and TPC Scottsdale, but he also showed his elite around-the-green game in Phoenix, where he ranked 4th in SG: ATG for the week. Overall, Kim has plenty of experience at Riviera, having finished T44 and T24 here in 2023 and 2024 and posted a career-best T3 back in 2019. Riviera’s small, well-protected greens demand precision from 150-200+ yards, and Kim was among the best in the field in approach play metrics during his two top-3 finishes. When Kim’s ball-striking is dialed in like this, he can compete with anyone in the world — as evidenced by his Players Championship victory and history of showing up at demanding venues.
He makes for a strong GPP core play in the 9k-range for me (either as a second man in with Scheffler or as part of a balanced approach) and his outright odds on the DraftKings Sportsbook should offer outstanding value at +3500 given the ball-striking form he’s brought to the West Coast this year.
MY SLEEPER: Ryan Fox ($6,500)
If you’re seeking a lower-owned player with decent ball-striking potential, Ryan Fox is worth considering this week. The powerful New Zealander has finished in the top 25 in back-to-back events on the West Coast swing, ending T24 at the WM Phoenix Open (-8) and T24 at Pebble Beach (-14). These results may not be flashy, but they show consistent performance and position him inside the top 40 in season-long SG: Tee to Green stats. Facing Riviera’s challenging layout can quickly differentiate true contenders from pretenders.
Fox’s skill set aligns well with Riviera Country Club. Among the longer hitters in the field, he has an advantage on Riviera’s long par 4s — eight of which are over 430 yards. His experience on big stages also adds value; after a two-win season on the PGA, he performed well at majors, including a T19 at Oakmont last year- another tough course favoring elite ball-striking and course management over finesse.
Priced at $6,400, Fox is near the bottom of the salary range but offers legitimate top-20 upside based on recent form and skill profile. His ownership is likely to be very low, making him an attractive option for large-field GPPs. He also presents a good value on DraftKings Sportsbook, where a top-20 finish bet at +315 seems like a solid way to leverage his recent performances.